'You're nicked': Bodyworn camera footage shows moment police officer tackles serial shoplifter to the ground
31 January 2025, 19:07 | Updated: 31 January 2025, 19:12
A man who was caught in the act stealing packets of meat from a supermarket has been jailed.
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The man was arrested as part of a Met Police operation to tackle shoplifting in south London.
Neighbourhood officers in Lambeth carried out a targeted sting at the Co-Op in Lower Marsh on Monday, 27 January after several reports of theft from the store.
After reviewing recent crime reports, police officers arrived early and waited in the back office where they monitored CCTV cameras.
The police released a video of the man shoplifting before the arrest.
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CCTV shows police tackling shoplifter
CCTV and bodycam footage shows the man grabbing a few boxes of meat from the fridge inside the Co-Op, before being tackled to the ground by a police officer.
“You’re nicked!” the officer shouts, as he lies on top of the shoplifter.
Derick Bell, 36, and of no fixed address, was charged the following day and appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court where he pleaded guilty to two counts of shoplifting.
Moment police arrest shoplifter
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He was jailed for eight weeks.
Inspector Darren Watson, from the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Lambeth, said:
"This is an excellent example of how the Met is taking a targeted approach to tackle the type of offending that matters most to Londoners.
"We know shoplifting has a significant impact on businesses and shop staff. It often also fuels other crime and anti-social behaviour.
"In Lambeth alone, our enforcement activity means 11 of the 14 most prolific shoplifters in the area are currently in prison and we will continue to take action against those who cause misery in our communities."
