An Angus shop owner has told how “unsustainable” anti-social behaviour has cost her small business £1,000.
Jane Watson, who owns Mum’s of Montrose Tea Rooms, set up the business in 2010 to support individuals with varying issues.
The ‘tea and cake’ theory was mainly to support young people who had not had a positive experience going through the care system.
The recent theft of a Kidney Kids Scotland charity tin from the shop by a drug addict left Mrs Watson “aghast”.
She said: “Anti-social behaviour has cost my business approximately £1,000 and when my product sells for £2 that is a lot of tea I must sell.
“I cannot claim on my insurance as my excess is £300 and, should I have claimed, my premiums would rise.”
Mrs Watson said she has spoken to small businesses who have expressed an interest in starting “an informal support group”.
She said: “Perhaps on the back of recent events this is something that I can try and pursue but, it is all about time and, I have very little. Going forward, nothing really changes, I have to open up my shop and just see what the day brings.
“It has been suggested that I chain up charity tins and ban people from entering but I’m not sure how these actually help because of the stresses these actions alone can bring.
“I have all groups using my business and I can’t assume that every person that steps over my threshold is going to behave inappropriately.
“I live and work in a community and we should all work together for a positive outcome.”
She said she was glad the only damage following the recent incident was a stolen tin which contained just over £11.
“The wider issue here is the continued failing of our addiction services and also social services in the main,” she said.
“Also, those that ‘have’ – their complete disgust at why someone would do this.
“I try to explain to these people that when someone has an addiction, absolutely nothing else matters to them and quite frankly, the effort that many addicts have to go to to get what they need is quite astonishing.
“As a small business owner, it is almost unsustainable as I have been broken into, money stolen, windows smashed and now this.
“There are massive issues here that continue to be ignored, unless you count the jobs created from the misery alcoholism and drug addiction on the back of their impact, something should be done to protect the addicted individuals and their families.
“If families are supported, the negative impact on the wider community will lessen.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police Scotland can confirm that a 37-year-old man has been charged with theft and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”
