A shopkeeper in Worcester wearing flip-flops bravely confronted and tackled three suspected shoplifters after catching one stealing a £1.99 greetings card. Wayne Jarvis, 42, who owns Fifty Scents on Broad Street, was shocked to see the woman leaving without paying for the card on May 8.
Heroic confrontation caught on CCTV
CCTV footage from the bath and body retailer shows Wayne confronting the woman, leading to a scuffle with her two accomplices. He grabbed one man and swatted another away before the trio fled on foot. Wayne, who opened the shop last year, has seen hundreds of pounds worth of stock stolen this year alone.
Shopkeeper's determination
Wayne said: 'It's ridiculous. They came in and they stole from me. I run a retail shop. I can't watch everyone all of the time. If I see someone steal something I've got to stop them - what happens if they have more?' He explained that on this occasion, the woman had only stolen a card, but he feared they might have taken more.
When he told her the police were coming, she tried to escape. He grabbed her jumper and brought her back into the store, where she continued to struggle. Then her boyfriend and another friend intervened, claiming she had done nothing wrong. Wayne said: 'But she had. She was stealing a £1.99 card. There were three of them in total.'
Recurring thefts and unusual targets
Wayne has been sharing CCTV footage of shoplifters on social media to warn other retailers. Interestingly, the most frequently stolen items are novelty ducks, priced at £7.99 each, along with bath bombs and candles. He said: 'We are a small independent business, we keep having issues with shoplifters. I stop them at the door and in-store.'
He recounted a recent incident where he stopped a woman for a £2 bath bomb, but police found she had stolen £90 worth of goods. This is the fourth theft this month, and since January, around £600 worth of stock has been stolen. Wayne believes there are no consequences for thieves, as the law is too lenient for low-value items.
Police investigation
Wayne reported the incident to West Mercia Police and provided CCTV footage. A police spokesperson said: 'Enquiries are on-going into an attempted theft from Fifty Scents on Broad Street in Worcester following a report received on Friday 8 May.'
