Shop thief caught in the act by off-duty police officer

A prolific shop thief was caught in the act as his attempts to steal blocks of cheese were foiled by an off-duty police officer.

Charlie Pearse, aged 38, targeted the Co-op in Wilford Lane, Nottingham, when he left the store with several blocks of cheese having made no attempt to pay on 27 May.

Unbeknown to Pearse, Detective Sergeant Juliana Gourlay was out shopping when she recognised two men she knows walk down the supermarket aisle at around 4.30pm.

DS Gourlay sprang into action and followed Pearse, who was carrying the cheese worth £26.40, outside the shop before identifying herself as a police officer. The suspect fled but was chased down by store security.

The officer rang 999 to report the theft to the police control room before turning her attention to another man, who was now becoming aggressive across the street.

After calming the man down and detaining him, he was also arrested on suspicion of theft at around 4.45pm.

Security staff and the off-duty officer detained the two men until uniformed officers arrived to take them to custody.

Pearse of Bailey Street, Stapleford, pleaded guilty to theft when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 28 May.

He was fined £40 and ordered to pay a £16 victim surcharge, which will be deducted from universal credit.

Jason Burton, aged 44, of North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, has been charged with two counts of theft from a shop.

He will appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 18 June.

The arrests follow Operation Retail; a new direct charging process being used by Nottinghamshire Police that enables officers to secure criminal charges against shop thieves more quickly.

The process removes the need to interview adult suspects in cases where there is clear and overwhelming evidence capturing the offence, such as CCTV.

It has allowed officers to work more efficiently to put offenders before the courts and free up more time so they can focus on keeping the streets safe.

DS Gourlay, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Shop theft has a detrimental impact on businesses, staff, and customers.

"Fortunately, this was a case of being in the right place at the right time to help ensure that offenders are placed before the courts.

"As a force, we recognise the importance of working with our business community and partners to help tackle and prevent retail crime to ensure people feel safer."