'Stick them in the stocks...' (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

'Stick them in the stocks...'

Vince Ayris whose shop in Havelock Street shop was broken into Picture Ref: 99149-06A SHOPOWNER whose cash till was stolen says he blames a lack of discipline among today's youth for the incident.

Vince Ayris, who runs an engraving store in Havelock Street opened up the shop yesterday morning to find the shop's back entrance forced open and a cash till gone.

Within minutes however the till machine was found just a few yards away in Newell Street but with the cash float of around £60 gone.

Mr Ayris, who has been burgled three times before said: "I remember that I had locked everything up and set the alarm but these people still managed to get in.

"It's frustrating this has occurred but it's clear that these are desperate times for some people and they feel the need to stoop this low to get some cash.

"But it is happening all over the town at the moment, with knifepoint robberies in the town centre and in Old Town.

"Fortunately this was not a huge amount, but it is a real pain to figure out all the cash floats again after the weekend.

"Today there is no discipline and these young offenders have no fear these days.

"They do things like this, because often they know they can get away with it.

"What we need to be doing with these people is to humiliate them stick them in stocks in the town centre and let people throw tomatoes at them.

"The human rights people probably wouldn't like it. But they wouldn't do it again."

Mr Ayris closed the shop at 5pm on Saturday and re-opened yesterday morning, and the incident took place at some point between those times.

"He is offering a reward for anyone with information about the incident. He said that police had been helpful and were dusting the till for evidence that might lead to the burglar.

In 2002, the Adver reported how Mr Ayris had installed high-tech sensor equipment in his shop after a series of failed break-ins left him with a hole in his garage roof.

Since 2001 he has spent several thousand pounds replacing damaged property in attacks on his business.

Recently Mr Ayris spoke out against vandals who were daubing their scribble on the walls of local businesses with bright fluorescent pink and yellow spray paint.

At the time he said: "This is a fantastic area and its frustrating to have these deadheads scrawling on the walls."

No-one from Swindon police was available to comment about the incident.

Anthony Osborne