Category Archives: News

Mail Online brings a story from Down Under, with complete relevance to us Poms, as it reports that, in Australia, nearly a third of all items are stolen over the Christmas period.

Thieves target stores for new-release goods or to impress friends whilst entertaining, with shoplifting professionals taking advantage of crowded, busy shops and selling stolen goods online.

The Bolton News reports that three mothers – with 12 children between them – have been jailed after stealing more than £2,000-worth of designer clothes.

Razwana Ahmed, Nazia Shazad and Nargis Noreen travelled 80 miles to the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet in York where they tried to escape with the haul.

The Bristol Live website reports that twin sisters were persuaded to sell stolen goods online in order to fund drug addicts, raking in around £300,000 over a five year period.

Lillian Bowers’ son initially started to get his mum to sell stolen items to fund his drug addiction, and soon enlisted the help of her sister Helen Thomas.

The Manchester Evening News website reports that a homeless man who was caught shoplifting booze and Boots gift sets claimed he was ‘simply stealing to survive’.

Mark Gary Giles was first caught shoplifting bottles of alcohol worth £164.25 from a Sainsbury’s store in Altrincham, and pulled out a knife when confronted.

According to The Argus, a former hotel worker pocketed thousands of pounds from an airport shuttle bus to fund his gambling addiction.

Andrew Brown took £3 sums from over 23,000 guests as they got on the coach from Gatwick Airport to the nearby Premier Inn.

According to the Derbyshire Live website, some stores in Swadlincote are not reporting shoplifting offences for fear of future repercussions.

A local councillor spoke out after police had stated that most of the area’s usual shoplifting culprits would be out of prison by Christmas.