Undercover police tackle shoplifters in Westcliff (From Southend Standard)
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Plain clothes police tackle shoplifters
4:00pm Tuesday 30th October 2012 in Southend By Laura Smith
Sally Tyrie
PLAIN clothed police are flooding stores in London and Westcliff in an effort to catch shoplifters red-handed.
The new operation, code-named Iron Maiden, aims to tackle a spate of thefts from shops along the London Road.
This will involve a series of ‘arrest’ days when officers will be given time to focus on catching these prolific offenders.
Sgt Steve Parry, of Leigh police, said: “It will include staff in plain clothes in some of our more targeted premises.
"There will also be increased stop-and-searches around the shops to try and identify and lock up some of our repeat offenders.”
One of the areas where they have particular problems is the BP garage where thieves will often steal trays of meat to fund their drug habits.
Sally Tyrie, 61, who owns Sally’s Out of Curiousity Shop welcomed the operation.
She said: “I think it’s a good idea. I’ve been here eight years and often see thieves getting chased out of the BP garage. I had a guy walk out of here over the Summer with a mantle clock tucked under his arm. I went after him and he said ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know.’
“I told him if he ever comes near my shop again there’s CCTV and he will be caught.” In the past she has had a gold chain stolen from the store and a life-sized Betty Boop statue.
She even chased another thief who stole a giant teddy bear and managed to get it bac. He had been struggling to load it into a car in Tintern Avenue because of its size so she confronted him and he eventually hand it over. Within weeks it was stolen again.
She said:”It’s a shame that it goes on. They all sit outside Westcliff library just past my shop with their bottles of wine and do whatever they do.
“You’re never going to stamp it out but something needs to be done, they just seem to be so brazen about the whole thing.”
Comments(25)
Yachtsman
says...
4:43pm Tue 30 Oct 12
Eric Whim
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4:43pm Tue 30 Oct 12
She even chased another thief who stole a giant teddy bear and managed to get it bac. He had been struggling to load it into a car in Tintern Avenue because of its size so she confronted him and he eventually hand it over
what an incredibly badly written paragraph.
The staff at The Echo should hang their heads in shame at that one
DEBT*COLLECTOR
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5:01pm Tue 30 Oct 12
whataday
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5:04pm Tue 30 Oct 12
Eric Whim
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5:09pm Tue 30 Oct 12
Alekhine
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5:32pm Tue 30 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21
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5:57pm Tue 30 Oct 12
asbo industries inc
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6:11pm Tue 30 Oct 12
Brunning999
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6:42pm Tue 30 Oct 12
Nebs
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7:01pm Tue 30 Oct 12
If they are taking drugs then that is compounding their crimes, it is not a mitigating factor.
asbo industries inc
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8:48pm Tue 30 Oct 12
Leighdweller
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9:38pm Tue 30 Oct 12
asbo industries inc wrote:I would say they're about as literate as the journalist that wrote this article.
you think the smackheads can read?
asbo industries inc
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9:54pm Tue 30 Oct 12
asbo industries inc
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10:08pm Tue 30 Oct 12
DogsMessInLeigh
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10:24pm Tue 30 Oct 12
asbo industries inc
says...
10:37pm Tue 30 Oct 12
asbo industries inc
says...
10:38pm Tue 30 Oct 12
asbo industries inc
says...
10:42pm Tue 30 Oct 12
notinwestcliffanymore
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7:10am Wed 31 Oct 12
Brunning999
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7:19am Wed 31 Oct 12
How many times have you sat on a plane and when filling in an immigration have been required to state 'have you been convicted of a criminal offence' then sign to that effect?
Eastern European countries must be saving billions by allowing us to pay for keeping them locked up here.
Nebs
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9:27am Wed 31 Oct 12
notinwestcliffanymorWhat did you expect, that she would pay you more than she could sell them for?
e wrote:
Given the price's offered for my late nans niknaks by sally compared to price's she then put them up for sale for, you could argue she had it coming and she should be investigated.
notinwestcliffanymore
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9:42am Wed 31 Oct 12
marshman
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11:25am Wed 31 Oct 12
Register with the benefits agency as an alcoholic or drug addict and after a few weeks your money goes up. They pay you more because you have an addiction. So you spend more on your drug, get high more often and sit all day outside the Library laughing at all the 'straights'.
There but for the grace of God ...
fredfoot
says...
12:36pm Wed 31 Oct 12
It turned out she was a prolific shoplifter and was banned from many stores in Southend.
Alekhine says...
4:30pm Tue 30 Oct 12