Bury St Edmunds market stall holder shocked after theft

Amy Willis, who runs natural homewares company Cottage & Co, which launched a market stall in Bury St Edmunds town centre this October, said one of her large sheepskin cushions was taken on Saturday, December 23. 

She said another stallholder had their phone stolen the previous week and, at about 9am on Saturday, December 23, her stall neighbour had three handcrafted signs stolen from his display and police came out to speak to him about it. 

Amy Willis at her stall, where a sheepskin cushion was taken (Image: Amy Willis)

Ms Willis said she saw a suspicious man wearing dark clothing who approached when she turned away and backed off when she turned back, walking off when he saw she had seen him.

She later realised a large sheepskin cushion, which she had briefly moved to behind the counter while she rearranged her display, had been taken. 

"In hindsight the thief must have been watching and waiting behind my stall and grabbed the cushion, which was worth £120, as soon as I turned away," she said.

"They must have then gone back behind my stall with it, which is why I then didn’t see them when I looked up and down the street."

Some of the homewares on Amy Willis' stall (Image: Amy Willis)

Ms Willis said the incident, which she reported to police, has left her shocked.

"I am in disbelief that these thieves would not only be so brazen to come behind the stall to steal an item but also to have taken such a large expensive item," she said.

"I was in such shock and disbelief that I made sure I did a proper stock check to be sure that the item really had been stolen before reporting the theft to the police.

"It’s so sad that small stall holders have to even have these kind of thefts as a consideration but these thieves don’t seem to care if they target a huge corporation or a tiny market stall holder desperately trying to make a living."

A Suffolk police spokesman said officers received a report of a theft from the Cottage & Co market stall on Abbeygate Street in Bury St Edmunds on Saturday, December 23. 

"A large sheepskin cushion was stolen from the Cottage & Co stall by unknown persons," they said.

"The cushion is labelled with Cottage & Co branding and measures at 57cm by 57cm.

"Anyone with information should contact Suffolk police quoting reference 37/73949/23."

The spokesman added that, since the beginning of December, as part of the force's new police operating model, there has been an increase in high visibility patrols.

The spokesman said: "Members of public and stall holders can be reassured they will be seeing an officer on market days where patrols are focused on the town centre."