Merseyside Police cordoned off Castle Bingo on Stanley Road in Bootle on Tuesday following a break-in during which cash was stolen. The incident occurred between 11pm on Monday, July 6, and 8:50am on Tuesday, July 7. Three forensic vans were parked at the scene, and the side door was open but taped off by police. A police car left shortly after 2:30pm, but a police van remained at the junction of Stanley Road and Merton Road.
Club Statement and Temporary Closure
A statement on the Castle Bingo Bootle Facebook page posted just after 11am on Tuesday said: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, our Bootle club is temporarily closed. Please keep an eye on this page for any update." When the ECHO arrived at the scene just after 2:30pm, the shutters were down with a message reading: "Closed for today, sorry." However, at 4:20pm, Castle Bingo confirmed it would be open "as usual this evening."
Witness Accounts and Police Appeal
Local residents reported hearing about the break-in. One man said: "There was a break-in, I heard they got in through the top of the building." A woman living on Merton Grove said she saw staff outside at 8am but no police, and later found police at the scene at noon. A shop worker nearby noted that rumors of a robbery were circulating but not confirmed.
Detective Inspector Edward Barr appealed for information: "We are in the very early stages of our investigation and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. Although this happened either late at night or early in the morning, the premises is located on a busy road so if you were driving on Stanley Road and have a dashcam, please check to see if you captured anything. Similarly, if you live in the area and saw anything, let us know."
Impact on Business and Community
Barr emphasized the economic impact of burglaries: "Burglaries can have a devastating economic impact on our local businesses. When they are left out of pocket it can impact the livelihoods of those who work there and also the people who use the service. We remain committed to supporting our local businesses and will continue working with them on the precautions they can take to prevent such crimes while also bringing offenders to justice."
Anyone with information can contact Merseyside Police via X or Facebook @MerPolCC, report online at https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/, or call 101 quoting incident reference 26000545117. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.
