Unresolved theft incident at Virgin Active Claremont – serious concerns about staff handling of lockers

I am a member of Virgin Active Claremont and am extremely disappointed with the way a theft incident at the branch has been handled.

On Monday, I was working from the Virgin Active offices and left my gym bag containing my gym clothes and running shoes in a locked locker. My understanding is that Virgin Active’s process is to open lockers at the end of each day and move any items left behind to Lost & Found.

When I returned on Tuesday, I was informed by a staff member that the lockers had been opened as part of this process. I asked about my bag, but was told that it had not been found. I therefore left the gym believing that my belongings were not there.

I returned on Wednesday and spoke to a manager, who went to check again and found my bag. However, my running shoes were missing from the bag.

This raises serious concerns for me. If the lockers were opened on Monday night/Tuesday morning as part of the branch’s normal process, how was my bag apparently not seen on Tuesday, only for it to be found on Wednesday — with my shoes now missing?

Since reporting the incident, I have found the response from Virgin Active extremely disappointing. I have repeatedly had to follow up myself and have been told that the matter is “being investigated”, without any meaningful updates or resolution.

I have now been told that they are investigating my movements on the day of the incident. I find this extremely concerning, as it feels as though the focus is being shifted onto me rather than properly investigating what happened to my belongings after they were left in a locked locker within the club.

I have also requested access to the relevant CCTV footage from Monday night into Tuesday morning. Virgin Active has refused to provide this to me and has told me that I would need to subpoena the footage. I find this response incredibly frustrating, particularly when I am the member reporting the theft and am simply asking for transparency around an incident that occurred on their premises.

At this point, I have serious concerns about the handling of my belongings and the internal investigation. I cannot say with cer*****y who took my shoes, but given the circumstances, I have reason to suspect that they were taken while my belongings were being handled or stored by staff as part of the club’s Lost & Found process.

The theft has also directly affected my ability to continue with my gym and running routine, as my running shoes were ****** and I have been left without the equipment I need to train.

I expect Virgin Active Claremont to take this matter seriously, provide a proper explanation of what happened to my belongings, conduct a transparent investigation, and provide me with a meaningful resolution rather than repeatedly telling me that the matter is “under investigation” while leaving me to chase for updates.

This experience has significantly damaged my confidence in the branch and in how members’ belongings are handled.