An Indian-origin shopkeeper from Kent in south-east England has displayed CCTV images of alleged thieves on his store window after a spate of shoplifting incidents.
Sham Bains, who is the owner and manager at a Londis store in Maidstone, said the display was intended to discourage people from shoplifting.
Some of the blatant cases caught on CCTV involve people shoving pies down their trousers and others walking out with crates of beer.
The 63-year-old said the loss of stock has become a major worry and the local police are not able to always respond quickly due to urgent case load.
“The police say they have better things to do, more important cases,” Bains told ‘The Sun’.
“Naming and shaming these criminals does work and it discourages others from trying anything. We’re always 110 per cent sure before we name and shame. The customers love it,” he said.
The local police said they had only received seven reports of shoplifting from the shop this year and had made four arrests.
However, the shop’s staff claim at least 50 incidents of shoplifting have taken place this year. The image gallery on display in the shop-front includes clear images of alleged shoplifters with the phrase “I am a thief” and others which are not entirely visible.
“Anybody who takes our goods without permission is a thief. They have no right to remove them,” said Bains.
Londis is a chain of local multipurpose stores across the UK, owned and run independently as a franchise.