POLICE are investigating an alleged attempted burglary at a performing arts school in Abergavenny, which left shop windows smashed and blood smeared on the inside and outside of the building.
Mayzmusik Performing Arts Academy on St Michael's Road in Abergavenny is thought to have been broken into some time between 2.30pm on Saturday, March 7, and 11am the following day.
Police say no damage was caused to the inside of the property and no items were taken, but the studio's principal Lisa-Marie Harris said the break-in has had a “profound impact on the people that work and study here”.
“I received phone calls on Sunday morning from about 10 passers-by telling me the studio had been broken into,” said Ms Harris.
“It is devastating. We’re a family business and I have no idea why anyone would want to do this to us. It’s basically an empty room with not much to steal in the slightest."
Glaziers are at the building this week replacing broken glass, and members of the studio have divided jobs in an effort to get the building back up to scratch as soon as possible.
The studio is embarking on a busy period, with exam season for the students and the ‘Big Show’ to celebrate the school’s 20th anniversary.
“There’s an awful lot going on and this really is the last thing we needed, but we can’t thank the community enough for their efforts,” Ms Harris added.
“We’ve been inundated with messages of support and with people sharing our posts on social media.
“We’re in the process of talking to local businesses who might be able to help us with CCTV footage.”
Ms Harris said studio staff may need to change their mindset in the future.
“We need to be ultra-careful and vigilant, and unfortunately sometimes you have to expect the worst," she said.
“People need to be aware that doing things like this can have a profound impact on the people that work and study here.”
A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said: “We were called to a report of an attempted burglary at MPAA Dance Studio, Frogmore Street in Abergavenny.
“The incident is thought to have taken place sometime between 2.30pm on Saturday, March 7, and 11am on Sunday, March 8.
“The bottom window panel of the front door had been smashed. No items were taken from inside and no damage was caused inside the property.”
If anyone has information about this incident, call 101 quoting Log 202 8/3/20 or you can send a direct message to Gwent Police Facebook and Twitter pages.
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