Widespread issue providing a meaty problem for shops

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POLICE are facing a spate of thefts around the county involving large amounts of meat.

A string of court cases have seen addicts targeting shops in a bid to fund drug habits.

The Cheltenham Safe scheme receives one or two reports each week in the town.

Elsewhere, courts heard George Belger, from Stroud, tried to steal beef from the town’s Waitrose supermarket and Cheltenham heroin addict Danny Booy stole £107 worth of meat from Iceland.

Simon Trigg, from Gloucester, stole £104.80 worth of beef, ham, chicken and steak from the Sainsbury’s supermarket in Barton Street.

Meanwhile, James Higgins, from Lydney, stole from shops in the Forest of Dean.

Colin Pilsworth from Cheltenham Safe said: “Some retailers have started security tagging their meat products and this is likely to help reduce the number of incidents.

“A number of these offenders are prolific offenders who are currently either serving custodial sentences or have been issued with Criminal Behaviour Orders banning them from specific stores or defined areas of the town where they have previously offended.”

A Gloucestershire police spokesman said meat’s “relatively high value” has made it attractive to shoplifters for a long time.

He said: “We suspect that due to the quantity of meat that is often stolen in many cases shoplifters will then sell the meat on to friends and associates as they might with other goods.

“In terms of how we combat shoplifting, we are active members of schemes like Cheltenham Safe, and City Safe for Gloucester and Stroud.

“As part of these we meet regularly with other agencies and businesses to help prevent thefts and identify offenders who are operating in the city and town centres.”