Police have apologised for "any failures in communication" after the victim of a break-in at a social club said he was forced to collect video footage of the crime himself.
Seamus Taylor, of St John's Conservative and Constitutional club in Ipswich, says police should have a "service level agreement" to attend and collect CCTV within the appropriate timeframe before it is deleted.
Suffolk police says officers continue to investigate the incident.
The social club in Kirby Street was broken in to at about 12.30am on June 3, during which the fire window was smashed and two tills damaged.
While no cash was in the tills, the incident caused about £1,500 worth of damage as well as loss of earnings as the club had to close for half a day.
While the footage was eventually obtained by Suffolk police, Mr Taylor added that he made many attempts to contact the force on the case but was not kept updated.
Mr Taylor said: "My experience with the police in what was a very simple case was really disappointing.
"I was trying to call and arrange collection of the CCTV evidence as there was a 14-day window before it was erased but it was impossible, which was worrying for a community employer.
"There should be a mechanism for giving updates to those who have been involved with serious crime.
"It would also be great if they had a service-level agreement with crime victims so that they will attend within the timeframe to capture CCTV footage."
A spokesman from Suffolk police said: “This case remains very much under investigation and officers are continuing to undertake enquiries in respect of it.
“We understand the concerns and frustrations that have been raised and apologise for any failures in communication.
"The officers investigating this incident are part of a neighbourhood response team, which means they have to combine conducting enquiries into crimes such as this alongside dealing with 999 calls, which obviously have to be prioritised above everything else.
“It is important to highlight the fact that there has been no loss of evidence in this case.
"Numerous attempts have been made to locate the suspects and these enquiries are an ongoing priority for the team.”
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