Police tell hotel boss to remove online video of thieves

EXCLUSIVE: Police tell hotel boss to remove online video of thieves who stripped their room of towels, lamps, fan, radio, kettle and tea caddy because it is causing them distress

  • The Dolphin Hotel’s owner, in Pembroke Dock, Wales, reported the pair to police
  • CCTV appeared to show them carrying two bags stuffed with hotel items

A hotel boss has been asked to remove online footage of thieves who stripped their room nearly bare because police claim it is ‘causing them distress’.

Furious Natalie Newton, 43, posted the pictures of the couple leaving the Dolphin Hotel in Pembroke Dock, West Wales, last Sunday morning, appearing to carry two bags stuffed with items from their room.

The pair allegedly escaped with a haul of luxury towels, two lamps, an electric fan, clock radio, tower extension block, kettle and tea caddy. 

Natalie reported the pair to police who tracked them down through the bank card they used to pay for their hotel room.

But Dyfed-Powys Police visited Natalie this week to ask her to remove the CCTV from her social media because it was upsetting the alleged thieves.

Martine Rendell (pictured), who stripped her room of everything she could carry, was questioned by police after the forced tracked her down through the bank card they used to pay for the room

Beautician Martine Rendell, 43, and her boyfriend allegedly escaped with a haul of luxury towels, two lamps, an electric fan, clock radio, kettle and tea caddy

Natalie Newton (pictured) gave police the CCTV and the woman’s name from the reservation she made through Booking.com 

‘The officer’s exact words were that it was causing them distress,’ Natalie said.

‘I don’t want to be hard or spiteful but they should have thought of that before they took everything from the room.’

Beautician Martine Rendell, 43, and her boyfriend, whose identity is unknown, arrived at the 10-bedroom seaside hotel last Saturday night and had no luggage when they checked in.

The couple were caught on CCTV going to their car the next morning to fetch two bags to load their haul into.

Police interviewed the couple at their home in Taffs Well, Cardiff, on Friday, and left without any of the hotel’s goods.

It is understood Rendell and her boyfriend claim they went to the hotel bar after checking in and when they went back to their room at 11.30pm the door was open and the items were missing.

But the hotel says the couple didn’t report it and question what was in the bags they were carrying out of the hotel last weekend.

Hotel landlady Natalie Newton (left), 43, and her partner, chef Ben Randall (right), opened the hotel in 2019 after her family ran it as a pub since 1999

Two police officers were seen exiting Martine Rendell’s house in Taffs Well, Wales, on Friday this week

Her boyfriend who had been with her at the hotel arrived at the address minutes later and the couple were quizzed about the events of last Saturday night. His identity has yet to emerge

The couple used Booking.com to reserve a room at the newly opened Dolphin Hotel in Pembroke Dock, West Wales

Police questioned the couple inside their home for 40 minutes before leaving without the missing goods. Pictured is one of the guest suites at the Dolphin Hotel and Restaurant

The pair were seen on CCTV stripping their hotel room of items and taking them back to their car 

They escaped with two fluffy white bath towels, two hand towels, an electric fan, two lamps, a kettle, tea caddy and a tower extension block with USB ports

The hotel’s owner put the CCTV pictures on social media asking people to come forward to name and shame the room strippers

One neighbour said: ‘It seems crazy – she was never going to get away with it – she and her boyfriend were right in front of the CCTV cameras.’ 

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed they are investigating after a report of theft from the hotel. A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: ‘We have received a report of theft from a room at the Dolphin Hotel, Pembroke Dock, on Saturday, 19 August. We are investigating the incident.’

Neighbours say there have been complaints because the couple burn plastic rubbish in their garden and the fumes drift over the area 

A view of the dining area at the Dolphin Hotel and Restaurant. Detectives are probing what happened

A guest room in the Dolphin Hotel and Restaurant that has two single beds

Pictured: The lobby at the Dolphin Hotel and Restaurant

Pictured is the beer garden where the male guest enjoyed his drink and cigarette

Natalie said: ‘I think we know the answer to that but it’s with the police now and we will see what happens.

‘I was cleaning their room and found the box the electric fan came in – if they’d taken that as well they would have got more for it.

‘At the end of the day it’s sad that people are so desperate they behave like this.

‘We just want to warn other hoteliers and Air B&Bs to be on the look out for them.’

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