Thief hid alcohol down his trousers

A Peterborough thief who hid alcohol down his trousers has been jailed.

Jay Steen, 29, began a series of thefts in Morrisons, in Lincoln Road, Walton, Peterborough, on 7 June, where he stole two bottles of vodka worth a total of £66.50.

He returned to the shop on 25 July and stole two bottles of wine worth £40 by hiding them down the front of his trousers.

CCTV operators spotted Steen, of no fixed address, walking across Cathedral Square, Peterborough, on 13 August and, knowing he was wanted for five shoplifting offences, directed officers to Westgate where they arrested him.

Steen appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (14 August), where he was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £222.99 in compensation - £133.50 to Morrisons, £19.50 to Poundland and £69.99 to TK Maxx - after admitting the following offences:

• Theft of two bottles of vodka worth £66.50 from Morrisons, Lincoln Road, Walton, on 7 June
• Theft of two bottles of wine worth £40 from Morrisons, Lincoln Road, Walton, on 25 July
• Theft of Vanish products worth £19.50 from Poundland, Westgate, on 2 August
• Theft of a handbag worth £69.99 from TK Maxx in Brotherhood Retail Park, on 7 August
• Theft of two sweatshirts of an unknown value from TK Maxx, Queensgate Shopping Centre, on 11 August

PC Jay Cullimore, the dedicated Business Improvement District (BID) officer for Peterborough, said: “Thanks to the teamwork between CCTV operators and police, we were able to arrest Steen before he could commit any further offences.

“Consistent reports of retail crime are vital to identifying and taking further action against prolific offenders, such as applying for criminal behaviour orders, so I encourage businesses to continue reporting to us, regardless of the value.”