Police go on £2,500 shoplifting spree

Plain-clothed police in Portsmouth went on a shoplifting spree in the run-up to Christmas and 'stole' more than £2,500 of goods from stores in the city centre.

Police targeted more than fifty Portsmouth shops in the month-long 'Operation Steal' to highlight security flaws. The scheme was run in conjunction with Portsmouth Business Crime Reduction Partnership and Gunwharf Quays Management. 

After stealing the goods police waited outside for security staff. If they didn't arrive officers then took the items back inside. While some stores failed to spot the thefts, a few did catch police in the act. In some cases police were able to access storeroom and back-office areas.

Read the full article from The News here