Moment serial shoplifter is tackled off e-scooter by police as he flees store in north London
18 February 2025, 13:46
This is the moment a serial shoplifter was tackled off his e-scooter by police as he left a store in north London with over £50 of stolen goods.
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CCTV footage from the Co-op store in Barnet captured Gavin Nicholls, 44, filling his bag with the contents of a meat-chiller on February 1.
As he fled with £53 worth of goods, CCTV from outside the shop shows how he was quickly tackled to the ground by a plain-clothes officer.
Other officers quickly came in to support as Nicholls sat on the ground outside the store.
Police officers dramatically tackle shoplifter from e-scooter
Nicholls, of no fixed address, was wanted for a string of thefts in the area and has now been jailed for 20 weeks at Willesden Magistrates’ Court.
The 44-year-old admitted stealing from the Co-op, plus five counts of theft of meat and alcohol valued at £655 from a nearby BP Garage on Great North Road.
Nicholls, who also uses the surname Fonti, is one of five shoplifters caught as part of a Metropolitan Police operation around Colindale.
The operation led to 18 arrests and 85 charges in the space of four days.
It comes after it was revealed last month that in the 12 months to September last year, incidents of customer theft reported by retailers in the UK had risen by 3.7 million to 20.4 million, costing retailers £2 billion.
Sergeant Dave Salmon, from the Colindale emergency response policing team, said: “This is an excellent example of neighbourhood policing at its best.
“Thanks to the awareness and quick-thinking of our officers, we’ve been able to remove more prolific shoplifters from our streets."
Read more: Ten people injured after 'noxious substance' thrown in Costco as police hold teenage suspect
He added: “We know shoplifting has a significant impact on businesses and shop staff, as well as members of the public. It often fuels other crime and anti-social behaviour, so we’ve taken a proactive approach with the worst affected stores.
“This is not only building stronger relationships between Safer Neighbourhood officers and local businesses, but also instilling more trust and confidence in local policing.”
