Police warn ‘career shoplifters’ are operating in town

Police have warned ‘career shoplifters’ are operating in Windsor town centre after it was revealed 51 shoplifting incidents had been reported over the past three months.

At a Windsor Forum meeting on Tuesday night (March 12), reported crime figures from across Windsor were announced by Thames Valley Police officer for Windsor east Matt Gleave.

In addition to shoplifting, the figures for the town centre showed a further six reports of business burglary had been made as well as nine reports of residential burglary and 10 vehicle thefts.

Responding to a question from Councillor Devon Davies (Lib Dem, Eton and Castle) over whether shoplifting arrests were being made proactively, PC Gleave said: “The shop lifting we see in Windsor, that isn’t their first time.

“They are career shoplifters, if you like, so they will always be arrested because we need to."

Town centre shops are reporting thefts but for Ryan Henry, duty manager at Waitrose in Windsor Yards, the problem was getting worse.

Speaking to the Express after Tuesday’s meeting, he said: “I do deal with a lot of shoplifters myself, it’s quite bad in Windsor.

“I always catch people taking stuff in here and we get threatened with needles and things like that."

Mr Henry said commonly stolen items included alcohol, specifically bottles of Bollinger champagne, as well as expensive creams for women.

“It’s definitely got worse one hundred percent," he added. "People are desperate now aren’t they? with the cost of living and things like that.

“There’s nothing I can do about it, I’ve just got to deter them, to show my face and just say ‘look I’ve seen you take that’.

He said while Waitrose would report crimes to police the response was often slow and repeat offenders had been spotted, even after spending time in jail.

At last night's meeting, PC Gleave also discussed the police response to shoplifting in Windsor.

“Much like anything happening in the police it’s resource dependant," he said.

“Clearly, if we have only got two officers in a double group for the area and we have got a report of shoplifting versus someone who’s being assaulted we have to respond to the person being assaulted.

“As I would expect most members of the public would want us to – we have to prioritise risk to life but we will always go to the shops where liftings are being investigated."

Figures for reported crimes across Windsor over the last three months, as of March 11, are:

■ Windsor central: antisocial behaviour, 12; business burglary, 6; residential burglary, 9; criminal damage, 29; theft from vehicle, 19; theft of vehicle, 7; theft of bicycle, 10; shoplifting, 51.

■ Windsor east: antisocial behaviour, 12; business burglary, 1; residential burglary, 8; criminal damage, 22; theft from vehicle, 13; theft of vehicle, 8; theft of bicycle, 2.

■ Windsor west: antisocial behaviour, 14; business burglary, 2; residential burglary, 11; criminal damage, 18; theft from vehicle, 20; theft of vehicle, 16; theft of bicycle, 2.