Man charged after £15,000 handbag theft case flagged to Met Police chief on LBC
A man has been charged following a police investigation into the theft of high-value handbags from a shop on Wimbledon High Street after the case was highlighted on an exclusive LBC phone-in.
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Joshua Grant McKenzie, 22, of Hounslow Rd, Feltham, was charged with theft on Sunday in relation to the incident which took place on January 14.
He is due to appear at Ealing Magistrates' Court on January 27.
The arrest came after the case was flagged by Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on Friday during an exclusive phone-in with LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.
Shop owner Paige called in to speak directly with Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and ask for an update on her case, with the Commissioner taking her details and promising an update.
During the segment, Nick Ferrari told Sir Mark there was a perception officers wouldn't be interested in investigating a theft if it was for an item valued at less than £250.
However, the Commissioner refuted this, stating that officers "want to know about all crime."
He also said he was out with officers the day before who were "dealing with crimes of that nature. They were picking up the high-profile offenders, the prolific offenders who are going out of multiple shops and committing crime."
McKenzie has also been charged by Surrey Police with theft from a store owned by the same business in Oakdene Parade, Cobham, on January 13.
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The charges relate to the alleged theft of handbags, totalling around £15,000 in value, from the shops.
The store owner has been updated by police.
A 22-year-old man was arrested on Saturday, 25 January and charged as above.