A “unique” tin man sculpture worth £150 is among items missing after a break-in at the old Debenhams in Kirkcaldy.
The former department store holds items for the Artisan Fridays market held weekly on Kirkcaldy High Street.
Colin Salmond-Wallace, who organises the event alongside Louise Canny, found a scene of “destruction” when he arrived at the unit at around 7am on Friday morning.
‘Destruction’ at Kirkcaldy Debenhams unit after overnight break-in
He told The Courier: “I go in every Friday morning as we store the gazebos for the market there.
“The first thing I noticed this morning was that I could smell perfume, because Avon has been storing items in there too.
“It felt strange, like someone else had been in there.
“It was just destruction, they had ripped the panels off the walls and smashed mannequins.
“They had sprayed blue paint everywhere.
“The market is still going ahead today, they didn’t damage the market stuff thankfully but some of the stall holders store their goods there as well.
“It feels a bit bleak – the old New Look store is next door and it has been broken into before and the doors have been smashed up.
“It feels horrible and threatening, it all seems to be getting worse.”
Owner says stolen tin man sculpture is ‘ironically symbolic’ to Fife town
The tin man sculpture has a distinctive red heart on its chest – something owner Gillian Devine says is “ironically symbolic to Kirkcaldy and all that small businesses and locals are trying to do” there.
It was among other items believed to have been stolen in the break-in on Friday.
Gillian, who runs art and decor shop Wr&p, said: “I am just a bit fed up of it.
“He has a selling price of £150 and we buy from suppliers that would normally only sell in England so he is quite unique here.
“It is the principle that gets us the most.
“The red heart on our tin man is ironically symbolic to Kirkcaldy and all that small businesses and local people are trying to do to promote and support our town, only to suffer from the frustration and devastation this kind of trespassing and destruction causes.
“It’s quite heartbreaking in already challenging times.
“We have been starting to go to the market but were not attending this week.”
Gillian, 61, previously ran her Wr&p shop on Kirkcaldy’s High Street but moved to Kirk Wynd due to other problems with shoplifters.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “At 11.15am on Friday, 31 May, 2024 officers received a report of a break-in and theft from a premises on High Street, Kirkcaldy, which is believed to have happened over night.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
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