Hull Business Owners Raise Alarm Over Surge in Criminality and “Weekly” Break-ins

Business owners and staff in Hull are calling for urgent action following a wave of targeted break-ins and antisocial behaviour that has left the local community feeling under siege.

The recent escalation in crime reached a fever pitch over the bank holiday weekend, during which three popular pubs were struck in a series of coordinated incidents. The Queens Hotel and St Johns Hotel, both located on Queens Road, along with the Newland Tap on Newland Avenue, were all targeted by intruders, reigniting fears among local traders regarding the safety of their premises.

For those working in the area, the attacks have become an exhausting reality rather than an isolated shock. Jack Stone, 32, a staff member at the Queens Hotel, described the situation as “almost a weekly occurrence.”

“It seems to be almost a weekly occurrence that people are just coming in, breaking doors down, breaking windows, and stealing a whole bunch of stuff,” Stone said.

Recounting the ordeal from the early hours of Sunday morning, Stone explained that the perpetrators initially attempted to gain entry through a window before successfully forcing their way through a back door. The intruders managed to escape with a television and a significant haul of spirits, with the total value of the stolen goods estimated to be between £1,000 and £1,500.

Humberside Police confirmed that officers were dispatched to the Queens Hotel at approximately 02:00 BST on Sunday following reports of a break-in. Investigations are currently ongoing, and authorities are calling on the public to assist in the inquiry.

“We are working closely with the local authority and partner organisations to tackle criminality on the Avenues in Hull,” a spokesperson for Humberside Police stated.

As the investigation continues, police have urged anyone who may have witnessed the incidents or who possesses CCTV or doorbell camera footage from the affected areas to come forward and contact the force.

The string of burglaries has cast a shadow over the neighbourhood’s vibrant hospitality scene, with many business owners now forced to reconsider their security measures to protect their livelihoods from what many describe as a persistent and unchecked crime wave.