Athlone restaurant closes temporarily following burglary

The Beans & Leaves restaurant in Athlone announced this morning (Tuesday) that it had been forced to close after a break-in and burglary.

Taking to social media to share images of the damage, the local business, located on Lloyds Lane, said the perpetrator had "wrecked the place" and that there would be "challenging days ahead".

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Sergeant Dermot Monaghan of Athlone Garda Station said that one person had been arrested and charged following the incident.

The person charged has been released to appear in court at a later date. Property that was stolen in the incident has been recovered, Sergeant Monaghan said.

The majority of the damage was to the restaurant's point of entry, with the top glass pane cracked on the front door and another glass pane broken.

The team at Beans & Leaves said it was hoping to be able to reopen the restaurant by Thursday of this week.