Moment sweet-toothed shoplifter pinches handfuls of chocolate in front of shocked staff and customers at a Sainsbury's
The stunningly brazen theft happened at a branch of the supermarket chain at a petrol station in the Hayes area of west London, on Friday, August 8.
Dramatic footage filmed by an onlooker shows the man swiping what appears to be family bags of chocolates from the shelves to fill up a Waitrose carrier bag.
The dark-haired, bearded man looks completely unassuming upon first entering the quiet store, in a green bomber jacket, jeans and sports trainers.
He appears to be holding a screwed up shopping bag, just like any other customer - but after unfolding it, he begins his astonishing crime in broad daylight.
The man soon clears the top shelf of a display near the front of the shop with amazing calmness, grabbing handfuls of goodies at a time.
He goes to leave - but, seemingly assessing the room left in his bag, comes back for more, as amazed staff and customers watch on, completely taken aback.
The thief soon grasps fistfuls of Magic Stars, Maltesers and Galaxy share bags from the next shelf down to add to his haul.
The shoplifter appears to be a repeat offender - as a member of staff can be heard shouting at him: 'You're trespassing, you're banned from the store!
'You keep coming in and you're banned!'
But the man is not alone in his efforts - an accomplice soon appears on screen, also carrying a loaded black carrier bag, seemingly having targeted the back of the shop.
The clip ends as the pair flee through the door, walking at pace.
Commenters were fuming at his shameless theft when the clip was shared online.
One wrote: 'Good of him to bring his own bag for life.'
Another said: 'Bare hands and full face reveal because they know they'll get away with it and they do.'
Someone else added: 'And we pay for this with higher prices.'
Shoplifting is currently a worsening problem both in London specifically and across the country more generally.
Rates have almost doubled in two decades, with three thefts a minute recorded across England and Wales in the year to March.
There were 530,643 reported to the police in this time - the highest figure since records began and up 20 per cent on the previous year's 444,022.
The crisis is most acute in London, where the capital has recorded a shocking 50 per cent boom in shoplifting, up from 53,202 in 2023 to 80,041 last year.
Today, Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said last month the force was renewing its 'laser-like focus' on ensuring officers are where they should be: out on the streets tackling crime.
The Met has deployed 170 officers in areas of the capital worst for crime, including up to 80 in the West End.
It is in this busy central area where shoplifters, phone thieves and so-called 'Rolex rippers' regularly target the rich and tourists.
Meanwhile, in government, it has been agreed shoplifting should be called 'shop theft' to avoid downplaying its seriousness.
In a letter to ministers yesterday, peers warned the 'outdated' word was 'trivialising the severity of the offence', calling for it to be phased out in legislation and guidance.
The Government responded to commit to using 'shop theft' where appropriate, The Telegraph reported.
And the national police unit for organised acquisitive crime, Opal, has also said it would encourage use of the term in its general communications.
Stores have also been taking independent action, with Iceland announcing on Thursday it is offering customers a £1 reward for catching shoplifters in the act and reporting them to staff.
Company boss Richard Walker said these shoppers would receive a payment to their membership card, to cut down on an epidemic costing the firm £20million a year.
'Some people see this as a victimless crime; it is not,' he told Channel 5 News.
Sir Keir Starmer has made tackling shoplifting one of his top priorities since taking office.
He pledged to spend an extra £200million on neighbourhood policing, as well as making assaulting a shop worker a more serious offence.
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