THE name of Rob Davis’s shop reads: “R.U.N. Ragged”.
And inside, Rob really is run ragged.
Paul TongePeople from all over the world want to show their support for Rob Davis, owner of a tiny shop in a Wrexham side street[/caption]
WNSRob put up a written sign calling shoplifters scumbags[/caption]
The phone won’t stop ringing and pinging, while tens of thousands of messages are clogging up his email.
People from all over the world want to show their support for the 59-year-old owner of this tiny shop in a Wrexham side street because he is standing up to thieves.
Problems began when Rob decided to fight back against thefts from his store, which sells retro, used and new clothes, and memorabilia.
In spidery handwriting, he wrote a note apologising for having to keep cabinets locked because of “scumbags”.
A short time later a police officer came into the shop after being alerted by a member of the public who claimed the sign was “provocative and offensive”.
Rob says: “He wanted to give me the heads-up about the sign.
“The police are back-pedalling and saying they can’t find a record of a complaint.
‘Prime Minister is not dealing with the problem’
“But I have done nothing wrong. The only people offended by the word ‘scumbags’ are scumbags themselves.”
“It prompted me to make signs and print them properly because my writing is quite spikey and hard to read.”
Now every one of the five glass-fronted cases in the shop is locked and carries a neatly printed four- by-two-inch sign which reads: “Due to scumbags shoplifting, please ask for assistance to open cabinets.”
His approach to dealing with shop thefts, which have risen 20 per cent this year to 530,643 cases nationwide, has struck a chord with the public — and not just in this country.
He has had more than 20,000 messages of support on his email and phone calls from as far away as Australia, South Africa and the US.
A woman in Tennessee wanted to send him her great-grandmother’s jewellery from the 1920s and ’30s to sell and help make up his losses from shoplifting.
Last week Rob spent a couple of hours working out that articles about his war on thieves have attracted well over 1.5million comments.
Rob says: “I have seen not one comment defending shoplifters.”
He was even invited on to Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine Show but reveals that his interview was cancelled because researchers could not find anyone to oppose Rob’s views on thieves being scumbags.
While we are talking, people come into the shop to give their support.
A middle-aged lady, who did not want to be named, says: “What you said was absolutely right.
Paul TongeRob’s R.U.N. Ragged vintage shop[/caption]
“It’s disgusting that all our police officers can do is to come into a shop and tell you to take it down.”
She continues: “Last week in London I watched five women who were massive.
“I thought they were just fat but they had all this food and washing powder stuffed under their clothes. I’d seen nothing like it.”
Rob tells her: “The outpouring of support has been phenomenal because it is highlighting the plight of small shopkeepers in Britain and around the world.
“In the UK, shoplifting is an epidemic. Big companies are the only ones that seem to be able to get anybody prosecuted for it.
“If the value of the things that are stolen are under a couple of hundred quid, for local small businesses nothing happens.”
New analysis by The Telegraph shows that nearly six in ten prolific thieves — defined as having at least 15 previous convictions — avoided prison last year.
I don’t want to fill my shop with locked cabinets. But I felt I had to put up a note to explain to my legitimate customers why I’ve done it
Rob
North Wales police set up Operation Blizzard to hit repeat shoplifters with restraining orders.
They say Wrexham had 731 shoplifting reports from April and December 2024 compared to 817 in the same period in 2023.
But Rob’s shopkeeper neighbours in Bank Street told us they no longer report every theft.
Posing by one of his display cases with the now-famous sign, Rob says: “I don’t want to fill my shop with locked cabinets.
“But I felt I had to put up a note to explain to my legitimate customers why I’ve done it.”
His scumbags message has become such a media sensation that he’s had the signs put on T-shirts and tote bags, which he hopes to sell to offset some of his losses from shoplifting.
Rob says: “I thought long and hard about what I would say. I’ve since been told that ‘scumbags’ is a word that can be used on TV and radio because it doesn’t describe anybody’s race, creed or colour.
“It’s non-offensive unless you are a scumbag.”
Rob was amazed to learn that Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman had put out a statement that “scumbag” is not a word the Prime Minister would use.
He says: “What’s he doing even getting involved? He’s got bigger fish to fry than whingeing about scumbags.
“In my opinion the Prime Minister is not dealing with the problems of shoplifting — not visibly, anyway.”
Paul TongePolice wanted to take Rob’s signs down, pictured a now typed up version of Rob’s apparently controversial sign[/caption]
North Wales Police stated that Rob had not committed any offence but previously advised him to take down or “reword” the note.
The saddest thing that I can see is an empty coat hanger because I know someone has stolen a jacket or a shirt. That just guts me
Rob
The force said it was for him “to decide whether he displayed such a sign in his store” and vowed any further retail crime would be investigated “at the earliest opportunity”.
‘Cafe opposite has had vinegar bottles stolen’
Every morning just before opening his door, Rob prepares for another day of trading by checking for items that have been stolen the day before.
He says: “I walk around the shop, I straighten everything up and I make sure all my stock is visible, tidy and neat.
“The saddest thing that I can see is an empty coat hanger because I know someone has stolen a jacket or a shirt. That just guts me. These aren’t thefts to feed the family because you don’t have any money.
“This is an impulse purchase shop where you see something that you love or you’re a collector and you find that missing piece to complete your collection. You can’t eat socks and shirts.”
Outside in narrow Bank Street, Rob points out the war games shop two doors down has a brand-new door.
He says: “That’s because someone kicked it in and made off with stock.
“It’s not just shops that suffer from shoplifting. Even the cafe opposite has had cruet sets, vinegar bottles and even spoons stolen. They’ve all got to be replaced at their cost.
“Shoplifting is everywhere and people are sick to death of it.”
Some thieves are so brazen they just try to walk out with Rob’s stock.
He recalls: “A chap came in with a big bag for life. He needed it because he was trying to steal a bright yellow Tonka toy truck.
“It was on the top of his bag with my tag hanging off and he’s trying to tell me the toy is not mine. So I took it back out of the bag.
I don’t advocate anybody confronting scumbags but small businesses like mine need help from the public
Rob
“This thief’s friend who was stood at the door decided to threaten me. He said, ‘That’s my bag — you can’t touch it. Next time I see you I’m going to do you. I’m going to burn your shop down.’
“These are the things you’ve got to put up with. I take no notice of it because I know it’s bravado.
“A couple of weeks later I confronted this chap in the street. I said, ‘Come on then, thief — you said you’re going to do me. We’ll go around the corner where there’s no cameras.’
“He just put his head down, mumbled something incoherent and scuttled off.
“I don’t advocate anybody confronting scumbags but small businesses like mine need help from the public.
“If you are worried, most small businesses have their telephone number on their sign.
“Go outside, walk up the street, phone the shop to let him know he’s under siege.
“We need the public’s help because the knock-on is that customers are paying for the shoplifting as well as the shopkeeper.
“We have to put up prices because of these scumbags.”
WHAT THE OTHER SHOPS SAY
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaHair studio owner Ceri Clutton says: ‘I support the ‘scumbags’ sign. I’d have put up something stronger’[/caption]
THE hair studio a few doors down from Rob’s shop is run by Ceri Clutton, 46.
She says: “We had hairdryers and a dozen brand-new hair straighten-ers taken by intruders. We had to stay closed for a couple of days.
“I support the ‘scumbags’ sign. I’d have put up something stronger.”
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaMark Norfolk has only just had the front door of his shop replaced after a break-in in March[/caption]
MARK Norfolk, 57, has only just had the front door of his shop replaced after a break-in in March.
He said: “The culprit was caught and sent to prison.
“Insurance covered the £2,500 for the new door and I was awarded £250 by the court. I haven’t seen any of the money yet.”
“I have blatant shoplifting of small items that I don’t bother reporting but it all mounts up.”
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaHari Gould’s cafe no longer provides smart cutlery and condiments for customers[/caption]
THE cafe opposite Rob’s shop no longer provides smart cutlery and condiments for customers.
Owner Hari Gould, 30, says: “I lost them from about 20 tables within a month. People were even taking the salt and peppers. It all adds to my costs.”
He also lost £1,000 of food when a burglar broke in and left the freezer open. The thief was convicted and ordered to pay a small sum back each month.
Hari says: “It was hard to claim the money and after a while I could not be bothered with the hassle.”
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaRachel Prince has installed security cameras[/caption]
RACHEL Prince, 39, has security cameras to try and protect her clothing alterations shop.
She says: “Anti-social behaviour is a big problem. Teenagers in balaclavas or hoodies feel they are untouchable. They seem to think they can come in and bully older people and steal what they want.”
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