Craig Stevenson, 25, having been convicted of taking part in a terrifying bingo club robbery has been sentenced to four years. During the ordeal a woman was held at knifepoint.

 

The thug has admitted attempted robbery at Norwich Crown Court after he helped carry out a botched raid at the Mecca centre in Norwich.

The dad-of-one was tracked down to his home in Tottenham, North London, through DNA on a knife at the scene.

Recent reports in the media suggest businesses should take extra precautions in the midst of the recession. Desperate times has lead to an increase in reported robberies as was indicated.

Ministers are bracing themselves for a rise in violent crime and burglaries and a shift to far-right extremism as the effects of the economic downturn take their toll, a leaked Home Office report to the Prime Minister says.

Bingo clubs are sometimes seen as easy targets. Some of the large clubs may have as much money on site as some small bank branches. With them being a  mostly cash business, operating out of banking hours and with many of them having a significant number of gaming machines with cash boxes it is not surprising criminals feel they are a worthy risk. Although it should be note, the majority of bingo clubs take secuirty very seriously, including being linked directly to the Police. Even the layout of the building is considered to ensure that they are not an easy target for criminals. The majority of clubs have CCTV, time lock safes and key staff responsible for locking up the clubs have limited access to the cash.