Image: Grace Wilson and her horse
A mum and her daughter have fallen victim to the rise in Rotherham burglary rates at their family yard in Braithwell, Rotherham.
Grace Wilson, 20, a freelance equestrian groom, recounted the events in which the burglar returned to their property twice this month to steal a pair of £300 leather riding boots.
She said: “It’s really scared me. I was there at 8.00pm by myself the second time and he was there just 15 minutes after.
“He was obviously watching me so now I’m constantly looking around to see if any lights come on or anything. It’s horrible.”
Miss Wilson says the man was on foot and didn’t take anything else from the site after not being able to access their container.
The man then made his way to another property in the village and was seen carrying the boots and he was escorted off the site by the property owner.
The Rotherham 2023 crime scorecard showed Rotherham’s crime rate to be 33% higher than the overall National crime rate.
This percentage has risen to pre-COVID lockdown figures and continues to do so going into 2023.
Miss Wilson was also subject to theft on West Street, Sheffield City Centre this year when her phone was taken from her bag late at night.
According to the crime rate statistics, Rotherham’s burglary rates have gone up the most from 2021 to 2022 in comparison to South Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber and the National statistics.
The rates increased from 6.05 crime rates per 1,000 people to 7.10 crime rates per 1,000 people in a year and are expected to have increased again by the end of 2023.
Miss Wilson and her family put out a Facebook appeal about the two burglaries, stating they “desperately need a name” and a photo of the burglar.
Miss Wilson believes South Yorkshire Police have neglected their case after cancelling her mother’s interview after waiting 20 minutes in the Station and finding no new information.
She said: “We’ve spent so much money putting new cameras up, putting new lights up and putting new locks on too.
“It’s what we’ve had to do but you just think you shouldn’t have to should you? It’s been an absolute pain.”
Rotherham Reveal has contacted South Yorkshire Police for a response.
There are currently no leads into this burglary, if you have any information please contact South Yorkshire Police from their online portal or by dialling 101.
Alternatively, you can anonymously report information to Crime Stoppers through their website or telephone number 0800 555 111.
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