Latest news with #Tenterden
Times
5 days ago
- Times
‘Police aren't helping, so I'm shaming the shoplifters myself'
After growing frustrated with reporting shoplifters to the police only to see no action taken, Suki Athwal resorted to the age-old tactic of shame. The co-owner of the Shop Around the Clock convenience store in Tenterden, an affluent market town in Kent, decided to print a screenshot of a customer pocketing an energy drink and post it on his shop window with the message 'I'm a thief and I love Red Bull': However, he soon received a visit from a community support officer who advised him to remove the poster as it could be a violation of data protection laws. 'I was a bit young and naive, so I took it down,' Athwal, a marketing graduate from Plymouth University, said. Police inaction brought Athwal back to shaming the shoplifters, in full knowledge that he, not the criminals, could be warned about breaking the case, which took place prior to the pandemic, is one of a reported growing number of incidents in which shopkeepers are being warned about posting video of shoplifters. Last week, North Wales police were reported to have told a shopkeeper to take down a sign calling shoplifters 'scumbags' because it could cause offence. Earlier this week, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data watchdog, said that putting up images of thieves in a local area could breach data protection laws. Data protection laws allow retailers to share images to prevent or detect crime as long as it's necessary and 'appropriate'. Guidance by the ICO said that while sharing the suspect's details with police, security guards, and other local shops is acceptable, publishing images on an open social media group or in shop windows may be excessive and inappropriate. The ICO primarily responds to complaints it receives about the misuse of personal data. This means that the shoplifter would have to complain to the watchdog for any investigation to be held, which would be a highly unlikely scenario given the possibility of prosecution. Sitting in his spacious office, Athwal, 30, keeps one watchful eye on a TV showing 25 cameras covering every single angle of the 'Tesco Express-sized' store that has been in his family for 35 years. He often pauses mid-sentence, sometimes to listen to chatter on his headset or tell his colleagues the price of an obscure item, other times to zero in on whether customers are attempting to pocket small items. After an increase in shoplifting during the cost of living crisis, Athwal, who has worked in the shop since he was a teenager, once again began reporting the incidents to the police. In one case, he provided CCTV, pictures and vehicle registration numbers, but he was told that there was insufficient evidence to help the police find the suspect. 'There has always been shoplifting, but we've seen an increase during the cost of living crisis. We fell into the trap of thinking we're in a nice area and that there would be no crime. We were lulled into this false sense of security and thought that it didn't happen here,' he said. 'There's a culture now where nothing happens. We've always had kids stealing from us, but now they're more brazen. We had a group of teenagers come and grab drinks and run out, and you can think you can run after them, but what can you really do? 'Sometimes people are just stealing because of the thrill of it. It'll be a pack of biscuits and then you see them get into a really nice car, and you think, surely you have a quid for the biscuits. They are probably thinking 'Is he really going to call the police for a few quid?'' Athwal tries to make the best of shoplifters targeting his store by putting up clips of egregious thefts on social media to boost engagement and draw people to his shop. In one post, he takes aim at a young female shoplifter who was wearing a Vogue hoodie, describing her as a 'little fashionista' and 'thieving little rat' who could not resist stealing Red Bull and two freshly made bacon and sausage baps. 'I'm at the point that I have to laugh about it. What are you going to do, just sit down and cry about it?' he said. 'I just think, how can I flip this? I've lost £15, but how can I turn it into £15 or more of business through shares and promotion?' Alongside the posters in the window, he includes a link to the video on Facebook along with a message that if the shoplifters want it removed, they'll have to pay the shop for the stolen items. So far, shame has succeeded where the police have failed. 'A few weeks ago, a mother was caught shoplifting and then their son came in and paid for it because he was embarrassed about his mum. I think that's what it is, it's community shame. I think that's the biggest deterrent,' he said. Nestled in the heart of the Weald in Kent, Tenterden has a high street full of boutique shops selling luxury clothing and hand-carved furniture, as well as staple retailers such as Boots and Waitrose. Shop owners said that they had seen a rise in thefts over the past few years, with one boutique clothing store claiming that the shop was recently targeted by a shoplifter who walked in and scooped up untagged accessories into their arms and stormed out. Another, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear that their boutique would be targeted, said that they had caught chatty regulars stealing small items of jewellery — a revelation that left them heartbroken. Like Athwal, many do not bother reporting shoplifting to the police, claiming that it has effectively been decriminalised, leaving crime statistics unreflective of the situation on the ground. Despite spotting three shoplifters this week alone, Athwal's shopfront remains bare. 'I've not got anything in my window at the moment because I wanted the shopfront to be clean, but come September when school comes back, I may put one or two up so people are aware we're keeping an eye on shoplifters.' While shame has worked in some respects, Athwal is well aware that he may be playing with fire by promoting the images of shoplifters. 'I've had threats so far with people threatening to smash our windows if we don't take the posts down. There's going to be a day someone is going to come over and I'm probably going to get punched,' he said. Athwal said that most of the theft was by people who were passing through the area and that the shop believed in the power of community, and donated to people in need and other charitable causes in the area. Separately, the government has agreed that police and the Home Office should use the phrase 'shop theft' instead of shoplifting to avoid trivialising the offence, according to the Daily Telegraph. The rate of shoplifting has almost doubled over the past two decades. In the year to March, 530,643 shoplifting offences were reported to police, up 20 per cent on the previous year's total of 442,022. Chief Superintendent Rob Marsh, of Kent police, said that officers 'have not and will not ask any business owner to remove a poster that was being used for crime prevention and awareness'. He said they could not find any account of the conversation with Athwal regarding posters in his shop window and said that protecting staff, businesses and customers from this type of criminality was a key role of the neighbourhood and town centre policing teams, who were in regular contact with retailers. Marsh encouraged shopkeepers who suffer from retail crime to contact police as soon as possible so an 'effective response and investigation can be launched' and said that officers had improved their solved rate for shop theft from 27.6 per cent to 33.5 per cent in the year to June. 'When a report of shop theft, of any value, is received and a suspect can be identified, our local officers and investigators will work to track them down and bring them to justice. We also regularly seek community behaviour orders and civil restraining orders for habitual thieves through the courts,' he added.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I was so obsessed with doodling I drew all over my £1.35m mansion - but after 36 hours without sleep I thought my mum was Nigel Farage and I had to be sectioned
A world-renowned artist who doodled all over his £1.35million mansion has revealed how he went from earning huge sums to being sectioned on a psychiatric ward. Sam Cox, also known as Mr Doodle, rose to fame in 2017 when a video of him using a marker pen to draw all over a shop was viewed 46 million times in one week on social media. Soon after, his doodles were selling for one million dollars each and he was being commissioned by big name brands such as Adidas. And in 2019, the 31-year-old's dream came true when he purchased a property in the quaint town of Tenterden, Kent for £1.35 million. He planned to draw all over the house, starting in the main bedroom with dream-themed doodles. The compulsive artist started working for 36 hours straight to finish the project, which he now thinks sparked a mental breakdown. Sam began to think that his mother was Nigel Farage and that President Donald Trump had asked him to graffiti his 'big, beautiful wall' between the US and Mexico. In a new Channel 4 documentary 'The Trouble With Mr Doodle', he reveals that he had to be restrained by six nurses after he was sectioned in February 2020. Sam told The Sun: 'I felt like I was in a game. You think health professionals and even family and friends are trying to hurt you. 'Donald Trump or other celebrities took the place of other patients in the hospital for me. 'I remember thinking my mum was like Nigel Farage.' Sam, who grew up in Kent, spent six weeks in hospital and has now fully recovered. Speaking about his 'Doodle House' project back in 2022, Sam said he was determined to finished it on his own. He told The Sunday Times: 'It's the longest project I've done. I wanted to say I'd done it all myself.' Sam left no surface untouched, with every wall and ceiling and all amenities - including the television, hob and bath - covered in monochromatic doodles. Despite admitting he did not plan any of his drawings, Sam gave every room its own theme. For example, the hallway was covered with Noah's Ark creations, while the stairs were decorated with Heaven and Hell drawings. Sam said: 'I had a rough idea of the theme but the individual doodles are spontaneous. 'My main inspiration still goes back to when I was kid watching Tom and Jerry, Wacky Races and SpongeBob SquarePants, and video games like Crash Bandicoot. I always wanted to draw characters for video games.' For the indoor doodles, the 31-year-old explained that he used black acrylic paint and a bingo marker-pen in four different sizes. Sam and his wife Alena previously planned to make the living artwork their permanent home in the coming weeks. The couple met on Instagram after Alena commented on one of Sam's videos prompting them to meet up in person in Berlin in 2018. Alena, who moved to the UK from Kharkiv, Ukraine in 2020, said she finds the monochromatic doodles 'calming' and even drives a doodled Tesla.
TTG
24-06-2025
- Business
- TTG
Nick Marks resigns as sole remaining director of Baldwins Travel
Marks last month applied to the High Court to have the formerly family-run business wound up, with a hearing fixed for Wednesday (25 June). However, a new filing to Companies House on Tuesday (24 June) confirms Marks resigned his directorship last Thursday (19 June). Should the business be wound up on Wednesday, it could bring the curtain down on the Baldwins brand after 120 years – and end several challenging years of uncertainty for the agency, which has 11 branches. Three of these branches, its Tunbridge Wells HQ, Tonbridge and Tenterden, were placed up for sale last month after receivers were appointed. The sale is being overseen by joint receivers Leonard Curtis and Westgates Restructuring.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- BBC News
Undercover Kent Police officer keeps job despite crash conviction
An undercover officer with Kent Police has kept his job despite being convicted of seriously injuring two people in a car officer, known as Officer A, was convicted last year after crashing his unmarked police car into another vehicle while driving on the A28 at Tenterden on 30 November, 2023.A misconduct hearing on Thursday was told the officer had become distracted while on duty after the cable from his police radio microphone got caught beneath the pedals in his A, who suffered a broken nose and facial injuries in the collision, admitted gross misconduct and was given a final written warning to stay on his record for two years. Officer A's identity has been protected as he still holds an undercover role with Kent 30 October 2024, the officer pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving and was ordered to pay a fine of £1,115, a victim surcharge of £446 and court costs of £ the misconduct hearing in Maidstone, Mark Aldred, representing the officer, said he had always accepted responsibility for his actions. Victims 'support the officer' The hearing was told that despite his own injuries, Officer A tended to the injured driver and injured passenger in the car his vehicle crashed Aldred said some instances of misconduct should be resolved with a final written warning, adding: "If this isn't one of those cases, then it's hard to imagine one that is."The counsel for Kent Police also agreed that the "unique" situation warrants a sanction which falls short of dismissal, while highlighting the officer's "unblemished record".Before giving his verdict, the chairman of the hearing, Chief Constable Tim Smith, said he had "not seen much in the way of remorse" from Officer A, who replied: "I am very aware of the impact that I had on their lives."However, Mr Smith noted that the officer had shown a high degree of professionalism by caring for the people he had injured at the said: "They are unequivocal in their support for the officer and say he was just doing his job."Handing down his decision of a final written warning, Mr Smith accepted that the incident would affect the public perception of the police, as public safety was not went on to say the officer was "highly skilled" and "works day in, day out to protect the public from the most serious form of harm"."I see no use for dismissing Officer A," he concluded.
Associated Press
13-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
AI Enters the Arena: A New Paradigm in Recovering Lost or Stolen Crypto Assets in the USA
06/13/2025, Tenterden // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // The rise of cryptocurrencies has brought about a new era of digital finance, offering numerous benefits such as decentralization, anonymity, and fast transaction times. However, this new frontier has also attracted bad actors looking to take advantage of the unregulated nature of the market. As a result, crypto asset losses due to theft and misplacement have become a significant concern for investors and law enforcement agencies alike. Traditional methods of recovering lost or stolen crypto assets have proven to be time-consuming, expensive, and often ineffective. However, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the crypto recovery process is revolutionizing the industry and providing a new paradigm for victims to reclaim their digital assets. Understanding the Challenge Crypto assets are stored in digital wallets, which are protected by a pair of cryptographic keys. If a user loses access to their private key, they lose access to their crypto assets. Similarly, if a hacker gains access to a user's private key, they can transfer the assets to their own wallet, making it nearly impossible for the victim to recover their funds. Moreover, the pseudo-anonymous nature of cryptocurrencies makes it challenging for law enforcement agencies to track down and apprehend cybercriminals. The blockchain ledger, which records all transactions, does not contain personally identifiable information, making it difficult to link transactions to specific individuals. The AI Solution AI-powered crypto recovery firms like Tawny Swift Ltd. are leveraging advanced technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and blockchain analytics to develop innovative solutions for recovering lost or stolen crypto assets in the USA. How Victims Can Get Help Victims of crypto theft or misplacement can reach out to specialized crypto recovery firms like Tawny Swift Ltd. for help. These firms have a team of experts who are well-versed in the latest AI-powered recovery techniques and have a proven track record of success in recovering lost or stolen crypto assets. The recovery process typically involves an initial consultation, during which the victim provides details of the theft or misplacement. The recovery firm then conducts a thorough investigation, using AI-powered tools and techniques to trace the flow of assets and identify potential threats. Based on the findings, the recovery firm develops a customized recovery plan, which may involve working with law enforcement agencies, negotiating with the cybercriminal, or using legal means to reclaim the assets. Conclusion The integration of AI into the crypto recovery process is a game-changer, providing a new paradigm for victims to reclaim their lost or stolen crypto assets. By leveraging advanced technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and blockchain analytics, AI- powered recovery firms like Tawny Swift Ltd. are enabling victims to recover their assets quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. If you have been a victim of crypto theft or misplacement, reach out to a specialized crypto recovery firm for help. Source published by Submit Press Release >> AI Enters the Arena: A New Paradigm in Recovering Lost or Stolen Crypto Assets in the USA
