THIEVES armed with a crowbar forced open the front door of a tattoo studio before stealing a cash till.

Anastasia Angus has felt ‘unsafe’ and ‘shaken up’ after the burglary at Poke Folk

Her studio on Wimborne Road, Moordown, was raided on November 12 with just £30 stolen. 

Bournemouth Echo: Anastasia Angus, 21

The 21-year-old said: “I left the shop in the evening, locked up, and went to a friend's house.

“I got a call from my sister at six in the morning saying that the police trying to call me through her that there's been a break-in.

“I was half asleep but shocked.

"Thankfully, no windows were broken or anything.

"They crowbarred the front, broke my door down to an irreparable state, and stole my till.

The shop is Anastasia's pride and joy, she added: “I opened the shop when I was 19, and I've been tattooing since I was 14, professionally, since I was 17.

“This is always what I wanted to do.

“The shop is my entire life.

"Anybody who knows me knows that the shop is everything to me."

 

Bournemouth Echo:

Now, Anastasia has started a GoFundMe to get her business back on track after the burglary.

The money raised will repair the damages and 'restore sanctuary' as well as install security to prevent another break-in.

The page for it states: “Anybody who's visited the shop before, knows we take a lot of pride in our community, and for it to be disrespected in this way is heartbreaking.

“This incident left me feeling unsafe and shaken up. Unfortunately, without adequate security, I am frightened for the welfare of my shop, and my staff's peace of mind.”

“I understand the cost-of-living crisis is dire, so I'm extremely grateful, in advance, for anyone who is able to donate.”

Bournemouth Echo:

So far, £1,000 has been raised to help Anastasia’s business.

Speaking on the aftermath of the incident, Anastasia added: “I've been able to work yesterday (Tuesday) for the first time because I've lost days of work sort of throughout this because police had to do forensic reports and I found out there were a couple of other places who had also gotten broken into.

“The support from the community is overwhelming, they do really rally together at things like this."

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: "We received a report of a break-in that occurred at a commercial premises in Wimborne Road between 8pm on Saturday 11 November 2023 and 7.25am on Sunday 12 November 2023.


"It was reported a till was stolen but was subsequently recovered nearby, and damage was caused to a door.


"No arrests have been made at the time and enquiries are ongoing."

Donations can be made to Anastasia’s GoFundMe titled: ‘Help me recover from a break-in.’