Croydon shop owner devastated as his store is looted ten times each day
A food market owner from South London has expressed his dejection after witnessing more than ten cases of shoplifting in a day.
Benedict Selvaratnam, who runs his family business – Freshfields Market in Croydon, told MyLondon that his staff has had to regularly put up with violence and abuse from thieves.
This is not a one-off incident as shoplifting has become common across the UK with several shops struggling to manage such crimes. The businessman has claimed that the police are not taking this problem seriously.
Selvaratnam has been working at the shop for about eight years and has noticed an increase in shoplifting over the past few months. In an interview with MyLondon, he said: “When I started there used to be three to five thefts a week, now there is anywhere between three and ten a day.
“Teenagers come in and are very brazen, they take slushies, soft drinks and elf bars. We also have it from people you wouldn’t expect due to the cost of living crisis. Pensioners are stealing tinned fish or corned beef and mums are hiding stuff under their prams. This is new and has only really happened this year.”
Last year, an incident of a shopper reaching over the counter to steal some cash prompted the shopkeeper to install screens for protection. It was revealed that an elderly gentleman was working at the counter when the incident took place. He was left with a panic attack and taken to a hospital. He chose not to return after that. Customers also spat at those working at the till around the same time.
Selvaratnam said: “It’s very stressful, my wife doesn’t want me working here, she’s happy for me to sell up. This is the new epidemic, its shoplifting. We are at the front line and is is happening up and down the country.
“Word gets out that they can get away with it and more and more people are taking that chance. We fear we are likely to get hit with a serious incident that we aren’t trained for.”
MyLondon reported that additional safety measures were introduced at the store, which included installing screens in front of the counter and purchasing extra CCTV cameras across the premises. On top of that, more staff were asked to be on shift than normally needed. There are currently 45 CCTV cameras in the shop to help capture every angle and area.
A spokesperson for the Met police said: “Our New Met for London Plan is involving Londoners to give them a say in how their areas are policed. As part of this work we are collaborating with business and retail leads right across London to identify what matters to them, including the safety of shop based workers and shoplifting.
“While it is not realistic for the Met to respond to every case of shoplifting in London due to demand, where a crime is being committed, a suspect is on the scene, and the situation has or is likely to become heated or violent, our call handlers will assess this and seek to despatch officers where appropriate. A London-wide roll-out of Op Retail, a successful pilot allowing more effective and stream-lined reporting of shoplifting where no offender has been detained or violence occurred, will be taking place in the autumn.
“We work with retail leads in London and we know first-hand the impact shoplifting and attacks on shop workers is having on individual staff and the wider business community. We understand that staff who are trained to challenge and de-escalate may feel obligated to intervene but the safety of those involved is our primary concern.
“Our advice is to intervene in line with your role and employers’ expectations only where it is safe to do so. If it feels like the situation is getting heated or violent, or someone is in immediate danger please call 999 and stay safe until arrival of police.”
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