Inside bogus workman's ‘£100,000 heist' from popular Boots – with fears nearby Scots shops also raided
LOOSE IN BOOTS Inside bogus workman's '£100,000 heist' from popular Boots – with fears nearby Scots shops also raided
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A BOGUS workman is believed to have nicked more than £100,000 in goods from Boots.
The serial shoplifter raided a city centre store while posing as an engineer in hi-vis gear, sources said.
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A fake workman has been suspected of nicking more than £100k of goods from Boots
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The serial shoplifter posed as an engineer in hi-vis gear
Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
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It's feared he may have targeted other shops on Sauchiehall Street
Credit: Alamy
On repeated visits he stuffed a holdall with pricey perfumes, aftershaves and hair products.
And it is feared he may have looted other stores nearby in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.
A source explained: 'The guy was pretending to be an engineer and gained access several times, filling a holdall on each occasion.
'So far he has stolen expensive hairdryers, straighteners, perfume and aftershave.
'He has gone in disguised and got access to shops. Other ones have also been targeted but Boots has been the main victim.
"It is feared the total could be over £100,000.'
Boots bosses have confirmed they're in the process of informing cops about the thefts, which are thought to have taken place over May and June.
A spokesperson added: 'We can't comment further as it is now a police matter.'
Earlier this year force chiefs revealed they'd set up a unit to clamp down on shoplifting backed by £3million from the Scottish Government.
The 'harassment and intimidation' of store staff was also slammed at the Retail Crime Taskforce's launch in March.
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Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: 'There is no justification for retail crime and the theft of goods from stores, or the harassment and intimidation of employees is certainly not victimless.
'When such offences take place, it can have a significant impact on retail workers, who then feel unsafe at their place of work. This is not acceptable.
'The establishment of the Retail Crime Taskforce demonstrates our commitment to working alongside key partners and the retail sector to both prevent retail crime occurring, but to conduct thorough and professional enforcement activity to identify those responsible whenever it does arise.'
Police Scotland has been contacted for comment.
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