Members’ cash taken as Northway Community Centre falls victim to burglary spree

Members of the Northway Community Centre, in Dora Carr Close, said their “blood boiled” as they watched CCTV footage of the two-and-a-half hour burglary.

Hayley Coleman, treasurer of the centre, said: “It is absolutely outrageous “He ninja-kicks in our front door, climbs through and then helps himself to our member’s money.

“He has robbed our members. There would have been close to £400 in that tin alone, and then they took the money from the till and fruit machines.

“And before he left he has the cheek to use our toilet.”

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The club estimates almost £1,000 was stolen from the till, member’s tin and the fruit machines during the raid in the early hours of Monday (February 1).

They also believe they will have to pay out several thousand pounds to repair doors that were damaged throughout the centre, the alarm system and electricity cables.

She added: “Now we’re going to have to find the money elsewhere to replace the membership fees.

“We can’t ask people to pay all over again. We want other clubs or centres in the area to know that this happened to us and warn them to be extra careful, and to urge them to get CCTV.”

A week before, North Oxford Conservative Club was broken into overnight on Sunday, January 24, and Monday, January 25.

Graeme Lewis, chairman of the club, said he was “furious” that someone had cut the wires to the CCTV, smashed a window and raided the till.

Last week, the Oxford Mail reported a break-in at the Oxford Harlequins Rugby Club, in Marston Ferry Road,, where a thief broke in through the front door and stole cash from a safe.

And earlier in January, Florence Park Community Centre was raided and a burglar took cash from fruit machines.

Thames Valley Police confirmed Adam Kupka, 28, of Field Avenue, Oxford, had been charged with three counts of attempted burglary and nine counts of burglary.

He was remanded in custody and will appear at Oxford Crown Court on March 4.