Sales assistant helps undercover police officers tackle phone shop raiders
Footage shared by Chippenham Police on Monday (18 August) shows a group of men raiding the store in Borough Parade, Wiltshire, as shocked customers ran away in the opposite direction.
The force had already been informed via intelligence that the store was being targeted by an organised criminal group, with officers waiting on standby to intervene.
The group were shoved out of the store by a shop assistant, with undercover officers wielding battens standing outside as the group tried to make an escape. Plain-clothed police officers then chased the men before managing to tackle them to the ground.
All six men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal at a court hearing on 12 June, and were sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday (14 August).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Washington Post
27 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Texas Capitol evacuated after shooting threat citing ‘political situation'
The Texas Capitol was evacuated late Tuesday in response to a shooting threat that forced people — including those protesting a Republican order for police to escort Democratic lawmakers to their homes — to leave the building.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Edinburgh gang war boss shared business with drug-dealing bodybuilder
Edinburgh gang war boss Ross McGill was in business with a drug-dealing Mr Scotland before the pair were exposed in a cracked Encrochat bust. McGill co-owned EKLean dry cleaning business in East Kilbride with professional bodybuilder John Barry McDuff until 2021 - a year before he fled to the United Arab Emirates amidst fears he would be arrested after French cops broke into the encrypted criminal phone network. McDuff, 41, was later sentenced to seven years at the High Court in Glasgow in 2024, for his role in a lucrative Class A drug trafficking operation, reports our sister title the Daily Record. READ MORE: Dublin Street Edinburgh: Road closed off as 'man falls from scaffolding' READ MORE: Police lockdown Edinburgh city centre street as 'forensic tent' erected on site Underworld sources claim the pair operated as partners in the racket. McGill and McDuff were both registered directors for EKLean on the Companies House website in February 2021. Images from the firm's social media pages show the clothes cleaners promoting garment care for expensive designer brands such as Moncler, Louis Vuitton and Prada. Speaking to the Record, the source said: "McGill and McDuff were business partners for a number of years and built up a substantial drug dealing network throughout Scotland. "Both used the Encrochat network and after it was busted people started to get the jail and McGill moved fast before the authorities caught up with him. "McGill moved to Spain and eventually Dubai, but McDuff wasn't as smart and the police were soon knocking on his door." When McGill fled the country, he left McDuff as the sole owner of the firm with the business still registered under the gym bunny's name. Since moving to Dubai, McGill has rubbed shoulders with international cartel bosses and moved his criminal operation on to another level. While McDuff, crowned Mr Scotland in 2012 after winning the 90kg category at the National Amateur Bodybuilding Championships, was caged after the High Court in Glasgow heard he used handles such as ""BIggie-Gla" on Encrochat for his involvement in the supply of cannabis, cocaine and heroin. The source added: "McDuff is stuck in jail while his old partner has gone on to mix with some of the biggest criminals in the world. "McGill was running a lot of businesses as well as the dry cleaners, but he shut them all down in 2022 and took his money out. "He knew he had been discussing some very incriminating stuff on Encrochat and when it was cracked he left without any intention of ever returning to Scotland." McGill lived quietly in Dubai, orchestrating huge drug deals before he launched a gang war on the streets of Scotland earlier this year. Members of caged Edinburgh kingpin Mark Richardson's crew were accused of ripping him off to buy £500,000 worth of cocaine with fake bank notes. McGill soon announced that everyone linked to Richardson was a target. Properties and businesses throughout Edinburgh were set on fire throughout March, before the war spread to Glasgow in April, targeting the notorious Daniel clan for their association with Richardson. Police Scotland's investigation to the feud, Operation Portaledge, has lead to 55 people being arrested for a variety of offences. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.


CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Historic Sacramento home damaged in fire has neighbors concerned after years of neglect
Four years after a fire ripped through a historic home in Sacramento's Capitol Mansions neighborhood, neighbors say the property has become a magnet for crime and danger. The property owner says their family-run business has faced an uphill battle just to restore the home. Amber House is a historic bed and breakfast that caught fire in June 2021. The fire was at the back of the home and spread to the historic home next door, owned by Athol Wong, bringing down a power line with the flames. Wong's renovations to fix the home, keeping within its historic build, took two years, she said, because of delays due to the pandemic. She has since moved back in, but still looks out the window to see the damaged five-bedroom home left untouched. "What was a stunning, beautiful house has been exposed to disaster for four years," said Wong. She said the neighborhood, Friends of Capitol Mansions, has contacted the property owner on multiple occasions to report concerns about the state of the property and the dangers that have followed with the still-open back of the home now just covered with a plastic tarp. Wong said she has called the police multiple times to report vandalism and break-ins, which typically happen in the middle of the night. She shared concerns with CBS Sacramento about fires started inside the abandoned bed and breakfast and people who she says break in and sleep in the home. "My message to the city is, it's been long enough and something needs to happen," said Wong. There's a sign with that very message hanging from her porch with a red arrow that points to Amber House. The property and business is owned by the Naga family. Prashneel Naga spoke to CBS Sacramento to share their concerns, too, about the delays he says they've faced since the 2021 fire. "That's our main source of income… giving up all that we've been living off our savings this whole time," said Naga, "No one is more stressed about fixing all of this than we are." He said they have faced hurdles with city approvals for work on a historic building, as well as finding the right architect who can work within the necessary requirements to bring the home back to its original form. There have been financial setbacks, too, Naga said. The family hired a contractor and, according to court documents, is out at least $500,000 for work they say the contractor never intended to complete. The case between the family business and the contractor has gone to federal court and will be heard next month, according to court records. In the meantime, Naga said, the money that would've been put towards fixing the damaged fire-burned home is tied up. He is hopeful that, depending on the outcome of the court case, the family will be repaid the money spent on the first contractor and be able to start construction again before the end of the year. Naga said he's heard the concerns from the neighborhood. "We've had people stay on the top, and literally sleep on the roof as well. Like get up on top of the roof just to drop down through it, breaking the tarp. There's no stopping it," said Naga, responding to neighbor concerns of people breaking in to sleep inside the home. Neighbors have called on the city to intervene in some way. In a statement, a spokesperson for the City of Sacramento said officials are aware of the property and neighbor concerns: "The City of Sacramento is aware of the issues at this address and has an active case through its Justice for Neighbors (JFN) program. The City is committed to enhancing this neighborhood and while working with the property owner will take all appropriate steps to ensure that the property is brought into compliance with all City code requirements."