Moment masked shoplifters brazenly steal booze from Belsize Park Tesco while security look on

14 February 2024, 13:02

Two thieves loaded up bags from Tesco in Belsize Park
Two thieves loaded up bags from Tesco in Belsize Park. Picture: Social Media

By Asher McShane

This is the moment a pair of masked shoplifters ran into a branch of Tesco in London and brazenly helped themselves to booze from a fridge.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Bystanders filmed the incident where two thieves piled bottles of alcohol into a large bag.

One of them wore a blue jacket and orange hoodie and the other was dressed all in black with a red hood.

A security guard in a high-vis jacket and a Tesco employee look on and chose not to intervene while an alarm sounds.

The robbery took place in front of stunned customers at around 8.10pm on February 3 and the bystander filming the theft even appears to have his phone grabbed out of his hand by one of the shoplifters. 

Read more: Moment couple ‘fled restaurant without paying’ after enjoying romantic meal as CCTV shows pair make a dash for taxi

Violence and abuse against shop workers spiked last year with about 1,300 incidents a day, according to an industry group which slammed the "woefully inadequate" action taken by the Government to address the "crisis".

The British Retail Consortium's (BRC) annual survey found that the amount lost to shoplifting in the latest year was the highest ever recorded.

The number of incidents against staff rose by 50% to 1,300 per day in the year to September 2023, from 870 the year before.

About 8,800 of the total across the year resulted in injury.

Retail staff faced a barrage of violence and abuse from racial abuse and sexual harassment to physical assault and threats with weapons.

The number of incidents tripled during the Covid-19 pandemic when people took out frustrations with Covid safety measures on members of staff.

Incidents have remained significantly higher than before the pandemic, and were on a par with Covid-era levels last year.

The BRC, which has thousands of members including more than 200 major chains, surveyed a sample of retailers representing some 1.1 million employees across the country.

It found that customer theft doubled to 16.7 million incidents a year, up from eight million.

Shoplifting cost retailers about £1.8 billion in the latest year, the highest recorded amount and the first time it has surpassed the £1 billion mark, the BRC said.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

The plane, which was carrying 80 people, slid down onto the icy runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport before bursting into flames

Horrifying video shows moment Delta plane crashes on tarmac and bursts into flames at Toronto airport

Healey's comments came following Russia-US Peake talks in Saudi Arabia.

UK facing 'new era of threat' from Russia, Defence Secretary says as he unveils ‘biggest military shake up in 50 years’

Passengers escape Flipped over Delta plane after it crashed while landing in Toronto

'We were hanging upside down like bats': Survivors reveal fear and chaos inside flipped over Delta plane

England's top judge slams Starmer and Badenoch over Gaza family immigration comments

England's top judge slams Starmer and Badenoch over Gaza family immigration comments

Craig and Lindsay Foreman

British couple on round-the-world motorbike adventure charged with espionage by Iranian authorities

An assistant referee has been charged with child sexual offences.

Assistant referee for FA Cup and football league games charged with child sexual offence

Corinna Schumacher, right, has broken her silence on the case involving a plot to reveal Formula One star Michael Schumacher's health secrets.

Michael Schumacher's wife breaks silence after three men guilty of blackmail plot to reveal F1 legend's health secrets

Doctor Who

Doctor Who faces axe as Nucti Gatwa 'quits' show amid drop in ratings over 'woke' storylines

Pope Francis

Pope Francis cancels weekend engagements as hospital stay extended

Bristol, UK. 19th Mar, 2020. Petrol now under £1 a litre as the drop in oil prices hits the forecourt. 99.9p a litre at Costco, Avonmouth, Bristol. Credit: Julian Kemp/Alamy Live News

Ten people injured after 'noxious substance' thrown in Costco as police hold teenage suspect

Alhaurin El Grande Malaga Province Spain Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación

Heartbreak as Brit pensioner, 90, 'starves to death in her Spanish home' as son, 63, 'found dead in property'

E-scooters are currently illegal to use on the public highways including pavements.

E-scooters blamed for 'shocking' surge in uninsured teen riders with 2,000% increase in offences

Thames Water has won court approval for a £3 billion emergency debt package as the nation's biggest water company scrambles to avoid collapse.

Thames Water handed £3 billion lifeline as court approves restructuring plans to save it from financial collapse

US and Russia begin talks about Ukraine in Saudi Arabia

Vladimir Putin 'ready to meet Zelenskyy', Moscow says as Russia-US peace talks underway

A drone view of Everton's new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock during an Everton under-18 friendly match test event.

Everton's new stadium makes its grand debut after £800million and four years

Job Centre Plus, London Road, Twickenham, Greater London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom UK, Europe

UK wages see unexpected rise as unemployment rate holds steady at 4.4 per cent