Nottinghamshire Police have launched a hunt for two individuals following a brazen early-morning burglary at a specialist trading card shop in Beeston. The thieves made off with an estimated £10,000 worth of collectables, including highly valuable rare Pokémon cards, after smashing their way into the premises on New Year's Day.
Dawn Raid on High Street Shop
CCTV footage from Jakes Breaks on High Street, Beeston, captured the moment the two burglars forced entry just before 7am on 1st January. Shop manager Daniel Matwiejczuk described a determined attack, revealing the pair initially failed to break in before returning to succeed on a second attempt.
"The taller one gets out what looks like a pry bar and tries to smash the window of the door before it bounces out of his hand," Mr Matwiejczuk recounted. "Then they both run off up the alley, and two minutes later they come back, the tall one leading again with what looks like a paving slab and puts that through the bottom window. He darts through, and the shorter one follows close behind."
Valuable Haul and Chaotic Escape
Once inside, the raiders were seen tipping over counters and grabbing valuable goods. The stolen items included several TAG Grade 10 Pokémon cards—sealed in perfect condition—whose value has skyrocketed in the collectables market. In a chaotic escape, the thieves dropped many of the items they had taken.
Alongside the premium Pokémon cards, the haul contained a jumbo box of Topps Chrome NBA basketball cards, collectable NFL cards, and limited edition Star Wars cards. The burglars also damaged packs of Magic: The Gathering cards, worth up to £80 each, by dropping them and leaving them exposed to the rain.
Shop Owners Vow to Improve Security
This was not the first time Jakes Breaks has been targeted; an attempt was made with a shovel a few months prior. The owners, Chris Wilmott and his son Jake, who started the business after selling a unique Lamine Yamal football card for $122,000, have now installed a rolling shutter to prevent future break-ins and have reopened.
"It's just an appalling show that you can work really hard in something, and then someone feels that they have the right to come and do this," said Mr Matwiejczuk. He expressed gratitude that the local community and other stores had rallied around them.
A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson stated: "We understand the impact this type of incident will have had on the business, and officers are following a number of lines of inquiry to ensure those responsible are caught and put before the courts. We have already received some vital information from members of the public."
