Raiders strike over 50 times at Tettenhall village shop
Prolific thieves have targeted a store more than 50 times since the start of the year, police revealed today.
Officers have now stepped up their patrols at the Co-op, in Tettenhall High Street, in a bid to nip the rampant stealing in the bud.
During the worst incident raiders locked four members of staff in a storeroom while hundreds of pounds worth of cash and cigarettes were stolen.
Tettenhall Regis Councillor Jonathan Yardley said: "I was there last week when someone picked up two cases of beer and walked out. The police can catch a lot of them as they can recognise who is doing it from CCTV but the officers can't stand there all day. It is industrial, rampant shoplifting on a daily basis."
Sgt Steve Perry, of Wolverhampton police, said: "We've seen a very significant rise in the number of shoplifting offences at the Co-op, in Tettenhall High Street, this year, with 50 incidents since the start of January.
"In response to this increase in crime we've stepped up our patrols and have actually held neighbourhood policing surgeries in the shop in order to deter offenders.
"Since January, a number of people have been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting at the store and six people have been charged. We have also been working closely with the Co-op to improve their security and cut crime.
"Security should be a key focus for any business and while retailers can never expect to eliminate shoplifting entirely, they have a responsibility to put measures in place to deter offenders."
No-one was hurt in last month's raid, but The Co-operative Food's spokeswoman Pamela Wood said: "We take incidents of shoplifting and retail crime most seriously, not just at our Tettenhall store, but across all Co-operative food outlets."
