Burglary couple detained

At the end of 2021 a number of Brighton & Hove businesses reported break-ins resulting in the theft of significant numbers of cigarettes.

At around 04:00 on December 23, police received reports of a break-in in progress at the Post Office in Mill Lane, Portslade.

CCTV footage reviewed after the event showed four people leaving the store with cigarettes worth about £10,000, cash from the till, a charity tin and an amount of alcohol.

A search of the area discovered a van in Downsland Avenue, Hove believed to be linked to the break-in and a search of the vehicle revealed items stolen from the Mill Lane Post Office.

The vehicle’s occupants, Emily Cooper (32) and Reuben Thompson (27), were arrested and both charged with six counts of burglary and two counts of attempted burglary. Thompson was also charged with criminal damage, using threatening/abusive words/behaviour and possession of cannabis.

They were both remanded in custody pending a court date.