Police team targets city centre street in shoplifting operation

Neighbourhood police targeted a Nottingham city centre street to crackdown on persistent shoplifting.

Officers from the city centre neighbourhood policing team made two arrests following the proactive operation in Bridlesmith Gate.

Businesses on the street have reported being hit by a spate of thefts in recent weeks.

Officers in plain clothes headed to the area on Thursday (12 September) and within 20 minutes located a suspect wanted for four shop thefts over a nine-day crime spree.

They also caught up with a man wanted for a further shoplifting offence in Bridlesmith Gate.

Sergeant Jonathan Pothecary, from the city centre neighbourhood policing team, said:

“This was a great example of teamwork with neighbourhood officers targeting one specific problem in an area of the city centre.

“An important aspect of policing is to listen to residents and our partners so we can act on concerns. Businesses in this area informed us about the problems they were having with persistent shoplifting and that is what this operation was all about.

“We decided to sweep the area for a day and it was a great success. We were in the right place at the right time to arrest two suspected thieves.

“As well as the arrests, we gained valuable intelligence and hopefully reassured businesses that we are responding to the crime issues which matter to them.

“Businesses operating in Bridlesmith Gate told us afterwards they welcomed the police presence and the arrests which had been made.

“We hope they will now be offered some respite from the issues they have been experiencing.”

A 34-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of four shop thefts while a 27-year-old man was detained on suspicion of shop theft.