Fareham shoplifter pays for meat and coffee thefts with jail

Meat, coffee and other items totalling hundreds of pounds were stolen from the Co-Op on Highlands Road between Wednesday 14 February and Saturday 24 February. James Durber, of Hayes Close, admitted eight counts of theft by shoplifting and one count of using threatening, abusive or insulting words to cause harassment, alarm, or distress - relating to a shop worker.

He was remanded to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court today (Monday 26 February) where he was jailed for 12 weeks for the shoplifting offences and a further four weeks for the offence against the shop worker.

A police statement said: "Our Neighbourhood Policing Team puts victims first by responding to and investigating thefts from shops, targeting shoplifters, and we will be relentlessly pursuing those that are abusive or violent to staff or who are repeat offenders."

District Commander, Chief Inspector Chris Spellerberg said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless offence. We recognise that repeat shoplifting in particular, creates an environment of fear for many retail workers. As a result they may feel unsafe and unprotected in their own workplaces. In addition store owners losing products to thieves, means that they not only lose the profit margin, but the entire value of the product. This in turn will impact prices for consumers.

“The Neighbourhood Policing Team is continuing to focus on retail crime across the district - in areas like Portchester, Locks Heath, and Fareham itself – so that we can address the concerns of the local community and retailers that serve them”.

Police advice to protect businesses includes:

• Make sure staff are able to use any appropriate security equipment such as panic alarms.
• Make sure CCTV cameras are in good working order, the position provides the best possible coverage and they are serviced annually.
• Remind staff to report any suspicious activity to the manager or the police. Details should also be recorded and include: date, time, description of person.
• Consider replacing high value items with placeholder containers.