Caught on camera

The Connolly family runs Spar shops in Tidworth, Ludgershall and Pewsey and has a zero tolerance policy, putting photographs of any suspected shoplifters on the tills where sometimes other customers recognise and name them.

The latest incident on Friday at about 12.30pm occurred when manager Sue Connolly, daughter of the owner, had popped out for 15 minutes, leaving assistant Sue Owen, the only member of staff in the shop and unable to leave the till at the front of the North Street store.

Mr Connolly said it was possible that a female customer, who went into the store shortly before the two men, had deliberately distracted the till assistant by asking her for medicine, saying she had a sick baby but then leaving without buying anything.

He said: “It’s possible that the female was involved too because it was too much of a coincidence that she kept Sue chatting at the till while goods were taken from shelves at the back of the store, we believe, by the two men who left without paying.

“The young woman, a girl really, asked for tablets saying her baby was ill although she never bought anything.

“Sue was aware of the two men at the back of the store and was trying to keep an eye on them but couldn’t leave the till while the girl was in the shop.

“When the men left so did the girl who did not buy anything and said she was going to the chemist instead.”

The store’s CCTV cameras showed the men filling two bags with goods including bacon, groceries and washing powder from the shelves – in total worth an estimated £50 or £60 – and they too left without paying for anything.

Mr Connolly said: “We have printed out their pictures on posters in the shop and customers said they think they’ve seen the men in Marlborough but have not been able to name them.”

Mr Connolly, a former Kennet district councillor, said that when shoplifters were identified it was the store’s policy to ask the police to prosecute.