I witnessed shop lifting in Accrington's Holland & Barrett today

[Accy cyclist]

😂😂😂

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The one who accosted me was shall we say physically encouraged 🥊 to stop boozing with a few other such types in the local cemetery the other year. He was peeing where he sat and threatening those who said anything to him about his behaviour. I heard that one bloke had had enough and decided to encourage them to leave and not return. Last summer a photo of him sprawled out in a bus shelter with vomit all over his face was posted on the local gossip etc Facebook page. Yes, he has problems, but he's a menace who turns aggressive at the drop of a hat.🧐

 

[Accy cyclist]

Not shoplifting, but still theft even though some may say it's on a very low scale. Today while working in the clothing shop I work in a couple came in. The bloke had a big bunch of daffodils sticking out of his carrier bag. He had a whiff of weed (cannabis) about him and looked like a shoplifter, so I kept a beady eye on him. He kept asking silly questions about clothes. So much so that I thought I'd ask him a question to end his silly questions. I asked him in a friendly way why he had a big bunch of daffodils in his bag. He was a bit vague about it at first, but his partner chirped up that he'd picked them in the nearby church grounds, seemingly thinking it was funny. He then said that they are there to be picked and he quote.....pays his taxes so he's entitled to pick them. You have to be careful with these volatile types, so I left it at "well, so do I, but I like flowers left in the ground for others who also pay their tax to see". I was tempted to say something stronger, but it wouldn't have been worth it. How about that eh!! An adult picking flowers out of a church grounds because he thinks he's entitled to do so! Besides, the church grounds aren't council owned. They are private, so the bulbs will have been bought and planted by church volunteers, not by the tax funded local authority.

Theft? Yes, I'd say so!!

 

[Drago]

...and looked like a shoplifter, so I kept a beady eye on him.

The word "SWAG" on his carrier bag was clearly a giveaway.

 

[classic33]

Not shoplifting, but still theft even though some may say it's on a very low scale. Today while working in the clothing shop I work in a couple came in. The bloke had a big bunch of daffodils sticking out of his carrier bag. He had a whiff of weed (cannabis) about him and looked like a shoplifter, so I kept a beady eye on him. He kept asking silly questions about clothes. So much so that I thought I'd ask him a question to end his silly questions. I asked him in a friendly way why he had a big bunch of daffodils in his bag. He was a bit vague about it at first, but his partner chirped up that he'd picked them in the nearby church grounds, seemingly thinking it was funny. He then said that they are there to be picked and he quote.....pays his taxes so he's entitled to pick them. You have to be careful with these volatile types, so I left it at "well, so do I, but I like flowers left in the ground for others who also pay their tax to see". I was tempted to say something stronger, but it wouldn't have been worth it. How about that eh!! An adult picking flowers out of a church grounds because he thinks he's entitled to do so! Besides, the church grounds aren't council owned. They are private, so the bulbs will have been bought and planted by church volunteers, not by the tax funded local authority.

Theft? Yes, I'd say so!!

What does a shoplifter look like?
I've seen them wearing expensive suits down to cheap tracksuits. Clean shaven to in need of a drastic clean up of facial hair.

There is no one look of a typical shoplifter.

 

[Accy cyclist]

What does a shoplifter look like?
I've seen them wearing expensive suits down to cheap tracksuits. Clean shaven to in need of a drastic clean up of facial hair.

There is no one look of a typical shoplifter.

Oh, so no concern about the daffodil theft then, just nit picking over what shoplifters look like.

 

[classic33]

Oh, so no concern about the daffodil theft then, just nit picking over what shoplifters look like.

You tell me what they look like then!

I spent over ten years watching out for shoplifters, seldom did two look the same. Even if they'd come in at the same time.

 

[Accy cyclist]

While in a friend's shop on Friday afternoon a 'female vicar' or maybe a priest walked past the window and looked in. I waved at her to gauge her response. She didn't respond. Then about 15 minutes later she came into the shop. She said she was asking for donations either cash or gifts to help feed the town's rough sleepers. I asked her which church she was from, meaning which denomination. She replied that she was from a church about 5 minutes away that was empty and in the process of being renovated. She didn't say the name of the church or which denomination it is. The shop's owner gave her a small value gift. This 'vicar/priest' thanked the shopkeeper then left. I then said to my friend that she was a bit dodgy. She just did not look like a female vicar! She had loads of make-up on, smelt of cigarettes, wore a cheaply made suit, whereas genuine ones tend to wear well made suits although sometimes a bit old and tatty. She just did not seem convincing. My friend agreed, saying she only gave her a small value gift as she felt the same. I think this 'vicar/priest' was a con artist. Ok, she had a 'dog collar'/clerical collar on, but you can buy them on fleabay for a fiver, plus the main alarm bell alert was her swaying the which church/denomination are you from question. I mentioned her to a few shop owner/shop workers yesterday, but non had seen her or been approached for donations by her. 🤔

 

[Jameshow]

While in a friend's shop on Friday afternoon a 'female vicar' or maybe a priest walked past the window and looked in. I waved at her to gauge her response. She didn't respond. Then about 15 minutes later she came into the shop. She said she was asking for donations either cash or gifts to help feed the town's rough sleepers. I asked her which church she was from, meaning which denomination. She replied that she was from a church about 5 minutes away that was empty and in the process of being renovated. She didn't say the name of the church or which denomination it is. The shop's owner gave her a small value gift. This 'vicar/priest' thanked the shopkeeper then left. I then said to my friend that she was a bit dodgy. She just did not look like a female vicar! She had loads of make-up on, smelt of cigarettes, wore a cheaply made suit, whereas genuine ones tend to wear well made suits although sometimes a bit old and tatty. She just did not seem convincing. My friend agreed, saying she only gave her a small value gift as she felt the same. I think this 'vicar/priest' was a con artist. Ok, she had a 'dog collar'/clerical collar on, but you can buy them on fleabay for a fiver, plus the main alarm bell alert was her swaying the which church/denomination are you from question. I mentioned her to a few shop owner/shop workers yesterday, but non had seen her or been approached for donations by her. 🤔

Did she run the post office by any chance? 🤣

 

[Accy cyclist]

350 quids worth of stock this one nabbed last week, the manager of Accrington Holland & Barrett told me the following day. According to her an old 'trusted' customer hindered the manager as she was about to approach the suspect, saying she'd bought the stuff elsewhere, not in Holland & Barrett. Yet after the suspect had left this supposedly trusted customer changed her mind saying "Actually, she might've stolen it". If I was the manager of that shop I'd be keeping my eye on this supposed trusted customer, as I think this 'trusted' customer is in on the theft!!! 🤔

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co....ected-shoplifting-accringtons-arndale-centre/

 

[Drago]

Presumably she stole £350 worth of hair extensions and P38 filler?

 

[DRM]

Presumably she stole £350 worth of hair extensions and P38 filler?

and a Schrader valve to inflate the lips

 

[stephec]

and a Schrader valve to inflate the lips

Got to be a presta to make them look like that.

 

[Drago]

I reckon it's Presta. She looks like she could suck a golf ball through a garden hose so could make a good seal with Presta.

 

[AndyRM]

There was a forensics team outside the back of Ramsden's in my local town centre yesterday which reminded me of this thread.

And then I read this article earlier today:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czdpvd41z7mo

Initially I thought "That's not so much really" but when you scale that up it's a pretty massive issue, particularly for small businesses.