Burglars caused about £2,000 of damage to a West Hampstead café when they stole a safe with just £200 inside.

Ham & High: The damage caused by burglars after the incident. Picture: Nicky Jones/WestHampsteadLife blogThe damage caused by burglars after the incident. Picture: Nicky Jones/WestHampsteadLife blog (Image: Archant)

The owner of the Wet Fish Café in West End Lane arrived at work on Monday morning to discover raiders had ploughed through metal bars covering a back room window to dislodge the restaurant’s safe from the wall at around 11pm the day before.

The safe only contained about £200, but the burglars caused significant damage to the café’s bathroom, which owner André Millodot, 45, thinks will cost him £2,000 to repair.

It is the fourth break-in at the brasserie since it opened 10 years ago.

“You’ve just got to be pragmatic about these things, it happens to businesses around here from time to time, but it was a surprise,” said Mr Millodot.

“We secured it up on the day, so hopefully we are stronger now than we were before.”