Police take action to protect shop staff from repeat thief

Police have taken further action to protect shop staff from the fear and stress they have suffered at the hands of an abusive and intimidating repeat thief. 

Security and shop floor staff in the Beeston and Chilwell areas have regularly had to be on their guard to look out for 44-year-old Richard Brown, to try and prevent him stealing items. 

Brown, of no fixed address, continued to offend despite being previously arrested for theft-related offences and given bail conditions not to enter specific stores. 

In a bid to curb his escalating behaviour, the Beeston neighbourhood policing team has now managed to secure a two-year criminal behaviour order against Brown – banning him from setting foot in a number of shops in Beeston and Chilwell up until 23 May 2026. 

Under the terms of his order, he must not enter the following stores:

• Co-op, Queen’s Road, Beeston
• Co-op, Wilmot Lane, Beeston
• B&M Bargains, The Square, Beeston
• Home Bargains, Queen’s Road, Beeston
• Tesco, Station Road, Beeston
• Savers, High Road, Beeston
• Heron Foods, Blenheim Drive, Chilwell
• Co-op, Bramcote Lane, Chilwell

Brown was given his order after he pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft after targeting three stores in Beeston and Chilwell between 11 and 20 May 2024.

He stole hundreds of pounds worth of products, including meat, alcohol, and washing items, after entering the Tesco and B&M Bargain stores in Beeston, and the Co-op in Chilwell.

In addition to receiving his criminal behaviour order, Brown was jailed for seven months when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (23 May 2024).

PC Dean Bardill, of the Beeston neighbourhood policing team, said: “Security and shop floor staff have been continuously under pressure to spot Brown and try and prevent him from stealing.

“Regardless of this, Brown has been non complaint and continued to remove items before fleeing the store, on occasions returning to the same store within the same day to re-offend.

“As well as his offending affecting their profits, shop managers raised concerns that their staff members have had to be on their guard every day to look out for and potentially follow Brown around their shops to deter him from stealing, causing them much undue stress and apprehension fearing what Brown might do to them if they approach him.

“He has shown absolutely no regard or respect for the shops and the staff who work within these shops and continued to offend despite previously being arrested and given bail conditions not to enter specific retail stores.

“Now we have managed to secure this criminal behaviour order against him, we hope it will reduce his harmful offending and lessen the alarm and distress which our local retail premises have had to suffer.

“I also hope it offers some reassurance to the affected premises and those in our community that should Brown break any of the conditions of his criminal behaviour order, our officers have the powers to arrest him, and he can face prosecution for any breaches which would carry even harsher sentences.”