EXCLUSIVE One-woman crimewave racks up 180th conviction: Britain's most prolific shoplifter is back behind bars after stealing £1,300 of goods over Easter weekend
One-woman crimewave Tanya Liddle, 44, who has had 400-plus arrests and carried out in excess of 350 crimes, is back behind bars after being charged with stealing from six shops in Newcastle in 72 hours of thefts.
Liddle has indicated she will plead guilty to shoplifting Easter treats as well as joints of beef, steaks, shaving blades, detergent and dog food. She was also accused of burgling an Aldi when it was closed on Easter Sunday to grab £200 of batteries.
It came as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that shoplifting is now at record levels. Figures for 2024 show police recorded 516,971 shoplifting incidents - the highest level since current police recording began in 2003.
Her latest shoplifting spree came after she was released from prison again - and despite a ban from all shops in the Northumbria Police area, which she has tried to get around by wearing a range of disguises, including outlandish hats and wigs.
One Newcastle shop owner, who has been repeatedly targeted by Liddle, told MailOnline sarcastically: 'Well banning her from shops has worked hasn't it'. He added: 'I really think the time has come for her to be locked up for good'.
One security guard said: 'She'll go for anything she can get her hands on'.
After a similar crime spree last year, one store manager told MailOnline: 'We've been plagued by Tanya for many years now. When she's out of prison she tends to try her luck at our shop on almost a daily basis'.
While Emmeline Taylor, a criminology professor at City University, said when asked whether Tanya would re-offend: 'The definition of madness is to keep doing the same thing but expect something different'.
Tanya Liddle is thought to be Britain's most prolific shoplifter - and has been busy stealing over Easter.
On April 12, the day after Good Friday, she is accused of grabbing £129.21 of detergent and dog food from a Spar shop.
The following day - Easter Sunday - she has been charged with stealing - or attempting to steal - from four stores including in the same Aldi, twice, where she grabbed creme eggs, chocolate, coffee, beef joints, steak and dairy products worth more than £200.
On the same day she hit a service station where she stole biscuits and confectionary worth £299. And she also raided a Co-op store for more chocolate and dairy worth £80.
And the following day, Easter Monday, she targeted a Morrisons petrol station and attempted to steal razor blades and laundry products.
It appears she was arrested that day and appeared in court last Wednesday, where she was remanded in custody.
She indicated that she would plead guilty to all charges, according to court documents seen by MailOnline.
Liddle was also accused of three offences on January 2 this year, allegedly taking meat and Lynx deodorant worth in excess of £500.
On December 30, 2024, she was charged with stealing gaming cards and a playmat worth £306 and on October 14, she allegedly stole dog products worth £150.
In late August last year, she tried to leave stores with two shark hoovers, Pokémon cards, clothing, handbags, coffee, instant noodles.
In July she stole clothing to the value of £394.50, belonging to Primark from its city centre store in Newcastle.
In March she was arrested for snatching £18 of chocolate from a service station.
Shop staff predicted that the ban on her entering shops would not work - and have been proved correct.
Bosses know who she is and that she often turns up in a bizarre disguise involving a wig, oversized clothing and sunglasses.
Liddle's one-woman crime wave is part of a much larger shoplifting epidemic, which the British Retail Consortium (BRC) says costs retailers £1.8billion-a-year.
One local store owner even claimed Tanya used her TikTok account, which has 1400 followers, to teach people 'how to get away with stealing'. The post has since been taken down.
Liddle served time in prison in May and July last year but only served half the time on both occasions with her victims saying time and again she is not 'properly punished'.
She also avoided fines due to a lack of means.
A manager of a local supermarket, who asked to remain anonymous, told MailOnline that Liddle tries to steal from them most days when not behind bars.
'Whilst we stop her on most of these occasions, we estimate that she's stolen thousands from us.
'She was in only a couple of months ago and tried walking past me with bags for life full of products. Like many others we are baffled that she isn't serving major prison time.
'She isn't fazed by being arrested for a few weeks here and there, and we'll be amazed if this ban actually works.
'It's no wonder we have to deal with shoplifters on a regular basis given even the likes of Tanya aren't properly punished'.
In September 2024, Northumbria Police banned her from pretty much every shop in the region for the next two years. But she has flouted it.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
M&S brings back popular service four months after cyber attack
The supermarket stopped taking orders on its website after it was targeted over Easter weekend back in April M&S has restarted its click and collect service four months after its business was hit by a crippling cyber attack. The supermarket stopped taking orders on its website after it was targeted over Easter weekend back in April. Contactless payments in stores were also affected and M&S was forced to temporarily shut down part of its IT system. M&S started to reopen online orders in June - and has now confirmed that its click and collect service, which allows customers to buy products online and pick up in store, is back up and running. It comes after M&S announced last month that its Sparks app was fully operational once again, with shoppers able to use their personalised discounts, birthday treats and coffee stamps. It comes after a state pension warning for millions of Brits who are between two specific ages. M&S customer data, including names, email addresses, addresses and dates of birth - but not card or payment details - was stolen in the cyber attack. The supermarket has advised shoppers to take extra caution if they are contacted by someone who claims to be from M&S. Customers are also being prompted to change their password if they've yet to log in to the Sparks app following the hack. The cyber attack is expected to cost the company around £300million. M&S annual profits - before the attack emerged - recently jumped by more than a fifth to £875.5million, its highest in over 15 years, thanks to its turnaround programme. Last month, boss Stuart Machin had said M&S expected operations to be running fully again by August. Speaking to shareholders at the retailer's annual general meeting, he said: "Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the Agency's highest priorities. "Today's arrests are a significant step in that investigation but our work continues, alongside partners in the UK and overseas, to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice. "Cyber attacks can be hugely disruptive for businesses and I'd like to thank M&S, Co-op and Harrods for their support to our investigations. "Hopefully this signals to future victims the importance of seeking support and engaging with law enforcement as part of the reporting process. The NCA and policing are here to help." M&S previously boosted its 20% colleague discount to 30% for four days for 63,000 colleagues, as a way of saying thank you to its staff. M&S also extended its 10% discount to over 2,500 contractors from across its supply chain and partners.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
'Monster' dad killed his daughter before hiding her body for months
Adam Montgomery refused to tell a court where his daughter Harmony's remains were. A "monster" dad murdered his five-year-old daughter and carried her remains around for months, hiding them in different locations. Police believe Adam Montgomery killed Harmony Montgomery two years before she was reported missing from the US state of New Hampshire in 2021. He has since been jailed for a minimum of 56 years, with the state's governor stating he "deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison". In July this year, Harmony's birth mother Crystal Sorey sued Montgomery for abuse and neglect against their little girl, the Mirror reports. The pair had separated by the time Harmony was born in 2014. She spent her first few years living between her mother's care and foster families, until Crystal lost custody in 2018 while battling substance abuse. Her father was granted custody, despite an extensive criminal record. Crystal said the last time she saw her daughter alive was in a video call around Easter in 2019. According to Montgomery's estranged wife Kayla, who testified at his trial, by November that year the family, including her two sons, had been evicted from their home and were living in a car. She claimed that on December 7, Montgomery had punched Harmony, who was partially sighted and had additional needs, in anger because she had wet herself inside the car. She added she had been passing food to the children after visiting a fast food restaurant, but didn't notice Harmony was dead until they stopped due to the car breaking down. Kayla claimed her husband put the little girl's body in a duffel bag, and continually hid her in different places over three months, including the boot of a car, a ceiling vent in a homeless shelter, a freezer and a cooler. She added she did not report the death because she was scared of Montgomery, who was also abusive towards her. Montgomery's legal team said Kayla, who fled from him in 2021, was lying to protect herself because she was the last person to see Harmony alive. Crystal eventually reported her daughter missing, with police issuing an appeal with images on New Year's Eve in 2021. They later determined the youngster had been killed, and legally declared her dead in early 2024. Montgomery pleaded guilty to charges that he "purposely and unlawfully removed, concealed or destroyed" Harmony's body and falsified evidence, but insisted he did not kill his daughter. However, the jury found him guilty in February 2024. He was sentenced in May to a minimum of 56 years behind bars, added to a 32-and-a-half year sentence he had started serving the previous year for unrelated gun offences. He was also convicted of assaulting Harmony in 2019 and tampering with a witness, regarding Kayla. A prosecutor offered to reduce his sentence if he told the court where his daughter's body was. However, he remained silent and her remains have never been found. Following the sentencing, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said in a statement: "I am grateful to the judge, jury, and Department of Justice for delivering justice for Harmony. Adam Montgomery is a monster and deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Crystal filed a lawsuit for wrongful death against the state's Division for Children, Youth and Families last year. In May, officials said they would compensate her with $2.25million, but stated this was not an admission of its wrongdoing. New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a statement: "The state agreed to these settlements to avoid prolonged litigation and support closure for the families. We recognize their profound loss and hope this brings some measure of peace." In July 2025, Crystal sued Montgomery on behalf of her daughter's estate, arguing that the youngster "endured breath-taking abuse and neglect by her father." According to WCVB, the complaint states: "Five-year-old Harmony Montgomery was beaten to death by her father, Adam Montgomery, in December 2019. "From the time Harmony was placed with her father in February 2019 until the date of her death in December 2019, Harmony endured breath-taking abuse and neglect by her father, leading ultimately to Harmony's homicide."
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Defiant French farmer who sprayed travellers with manure fears ‘reprisals' as he speaks out after slurry stunt
It comes as a Brit farmer also recently sprayed manure to protest an unauthorised encampment FIGHTING DIRTY Defiant French farmer who sprayed travellers with manure fears 'reprisals' as he speaks out after slurry stunt A FRENCH farmer who sprayed manure at a group of travellers camped on his land now says he fears "reprisals". Shocking footage shows farmers using tractors to douse dozens of white caravans with liquid fertilizer on a field in the Vosges region of north-east France. Advertisement 4 Furious French farmers spray manure on travellers squatting on their farm Credit: YouTube 4 French farmers have used similar tactics before in protest 4 The group was heading to a religious festival in Grostenquin Credit: YouTube Pierre Richard, 37, set about spraying liquid manure on a group who had set up camp without permission on his family farm near the village of Le Syndicat. The field, passed down through five generations, is used to grow hay for Pierre's 50 dairy cows. He claims police told him there was nothing they could do about the situation, forcing him to take matters in his own hands. As the tractors approached, people inside the caravans were seen running away. Advertisement The group was reportedly en route to Grostenquin - about 90 minutes from the Luxembourg-France border - for an annual evangelical festival. The furious farmer told the Mail Online: "I'd simply had enough. They want us to simply shut our mouths and let them squat on our land. But this year I refused." He claimed that the 250 caravans ignored a designated traveller site nearby. Pierre said: "They preferred to stay here on my land. It's a beautiful place, in the mountains, next to a river, and with fresh green grass. Advertisement "They arrived at about 8pm on a Sunday night. When I heard they were there I went down there, but it was too late. "They had broken through the barriers and set up camp, hundreds of them. Farmer who found lost German backpacker in Outback reveals moment she found the tourist who 'slept in a cave to survive' "The following day I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do. "So, on the Tuesday we went out with the tractors and sprayed the rest of the prairie with slurry to make sure no more of them would come. Advertisement "As you can see from the footage, we stayed a minimum of 10 metres from the caravans." Pierre said he now feared "reprisals" from the people living in the encampment. The religious event, organised by the evangelical group Vie et Lumière ('Life and Light'), is scheduled for August 24 and 31, at the Grostenquin airbase. Around 5,000 caravans and between 15,000 to 20,000 people are expected to attend, according to regional news outlet Advertisement The return of the event has reportedly sparked controversy, with some local officials calling it "unacceptable" and farmers claiming it affects their work during the busy late-summer season. However, rights groups argue that this reflects long-standing discrimination against the travelling community in France. It comes as another French farmer, Loic Madre, shared a video online showing a similar protest. He claimed that he sprayed the encampment of travellers with manure on his farm as police did not act. Advertisement In the one-minute clip, up to six tractors can be seen spraying slurry - a mix of manure and water - across the field. Last year, Brit farmer Jack Bellamy used the same method after discovering a camper van parked on his land.
