Extra security at Gandey's Circus after charity money theft

Thursday 24 May 2018

The family which owns Gandey's Circus has had to bring in extra security ahead of their Jersey run, after charity money donated for the RNLI was stolen from their box office in Guernsey.

For the first time ever, Gandey's Circus, which will be at People's Park until Monday, is employing security staff 24 hours a day.

It comes after someone broke into the circus's box office sometime between 01:30 and 09:00 last Saturday. Guernsey Police said the individuals had "forced the padlock on the door, and stolen roughly £100 from a money tin, and also two RNLI Charity Buckets, both containing an unknown amount of cash donated by the public."

Binky, the circus ringmaster, told Express the money was not easily taken. It was being kept inside the Box Office which was protected by a cage with the door to the room locked. He said it was the first time they've experienced an incident like this and he was surprised it had happened in Guernsey.

"In 30 years of coming to the Channel Islands, this has never happened before," Binky said. "It won't put us off coming back but it has surprised us. We've got a cage which they managed to break into and they caused a lot of other damage and mess too. They threw food everywhere.

"We're just upset that someone would do that. I guess it is the way the world is going, and in the Channel Islands too."

Pictured: Gandeys Circus was in Guernsey last week.

Feeling responsible for the theft, the Gandey family has since decided to donate some of their own money to the RNLI to replace what went missing. 

Gandeys Circus is now in Jersey until Monday and will be raising money for Jersey Hospice Care. Binky told Express they have had to put additional security measures in place. "We already employ security staff who work during the shows to ensure everyone's safety," he said, adding that the security personnel also act as trained first-aiders while the circus performers are in the ring. However, he said for the first time ever Gandey's Circus is also employing security staff 24 hours a day.

Pictured: Gandeys Circus is now set up in People's Park.

Binky said: "It's very sad that we have to do this, but that is the world we live in now. We've never needed security in 30 years of coming to the Channel Islands. I thought it was like the Isle of Man, where I know people can leave their back doors unlocked. But we've had to take on night time security staff as well now for our shows in Jersey, after what has happened in Guernsey."

"It hasn't put us off coming here at all. Unfortunately it seems to be the way countries are going all over the world and Guernsey isn't any different, but it hasn't put us off. 

"We had a great time in Guernsey and in Jersey in 2017 and we've just had a great time in Guernsey last week. We've been here before countless times including with the Chinese State circus and ice shows and we will be back again definitely."