THIEVES have targeted Southampton city centre firms 200 times in just six months.

The crimewave has seen raiders target shops and other companies, some of which were open at the time.

Entrepreneur Spencer Bowman says he is thinking about quitting the city after his own business was broken into for the eighth time in less than three years.

Thieves took a charity collection box and around £400 in cash when they broke into the Bargate branch of Mettricks coffee shop in Southampton on Saturday night causing around £1,000 damage. It is one of three branches owned by Mr Bowman, 30.

It was the second time this month that the independent café chain had been targeted.

Mr Bowman said: “Southampton is suffering really badly. I’ve spoken to three other business owners of five other units in the arts complex.

“We’ve now got very large excesses and even our own bank has stopped insuring us.

“They took our change for a collection we were doing for the Society of St James which is worth about £200 we think and then they took our cash float as well.

“I’m exhausted. I am seriously contemplating whether Southampton is the place to do business, but I’m determined and I really want to do something good here.

"I really think this place has got tons and tons of potential.

“They came in at around 1am on Saturday night – they got in through the basement they didn’t even come through the shop.

"They broke the door in and the five locks held but it’s the hinges that gave way.”

Mr Bowman, who employs 54 people in his shops on High Street, Guildhall Walk and Bargate, said: “If crime is higher in Southampton city centre than anywhere else in Hampshire then surely we need to be given more resourcing.

"There’s a priority.

“I've written to Simon Letts saying we need to have strong leadership to co-ordinate services – CCTV, street lighting and policing – they all need to be better.”

The business was also targeted June 17 by a homeless man who stole coffee making equipment from the Guildhall branch during a charity event – only to return it with a handwritten apology and a promise of a donation four days later.

Independent coffee shop and live music venue Notes café in Hanover Buildings has also been broken into twice since it opened on February 20, with thieves causing around £2,000 damage.

Southampton City Council leader Cllr Simon Letts said: “Southampton City Council is committed to supporting local businesses and creating an environment where they can thrive.

"We listened to independent businesses in implementing PSPOs (public space protection orders) recently to make the city centre an attractive place for visitors and to help boost the local economy.

"We are also looking into setting up a BID (business improvement district) to help raise and spend resources in the city centre and Mettricks are a part of the steering committee.

"Other local BIDs have invested in additional street cleaning, security and events."

A spokesman from Hampshire police said: "Reducing commercial burglaries is a priority.

"Operation Turbulent is an operation in the city that solely focuses on commercial burglaries.

"We link reports to identify patterns and manage repeatedly targeted locations."

He added that the number of burglaries included so-called walk-in thefts, which happen when premises are open for business.

Raiders get in through unlocked doors into a part the building they are not supposed to and steal items.

The spokesman added: "We often see an increase in these kinds of crimes in the warm weather and ask business owners to be vigilant throughout the summer.

“We are committed to protecting businesses from crime within the city and we do everything we can to make Southampton an enjoyable place to work and live.

“Through our work with Southampton Businesses Against Crime (SoBAC), we are constantly in communication with business owners, listening to any concerns and taking action, where we can, to reduce crime."