Brazen thieves filmed stripping Greggs’ shelves bare across broken Britain with staff powerless to stop

SHAMELESS shoplifters are stripping shelves bare at Greggs — with staff powerless to respond and not a cop in sight.

Sun reporters saw dozens across the country walk off with bakes and sweet treats.

We watched as shoplifters struck at Greggs in Brighton, on the busy Queen’s Road

In Southampton, a man came in just after midday, grabbed four items from the hot food cabinet and leftSolent News

At one branch in Stockwell, South London, we ­witnessed at least one shoplifting incident an hourPeter Jordan

Our probe shows shoplifting is out of control.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick slammed the “appalling criminality”.

The thefts by crooks with no fear of any consequences is the latest example of how law and order is falling apart in broken Britain.

Bakery chain Greggs has bouncers on the doors of some stores.

But our reporters witnessed a string of blatant daylight thefts.

In one incident, when a shoplifter was confronted, he simply gave the worker a fist bump and handed back some of the food he had ­pilfered before strolling out.

In another theft caught on camera, a woman appears to pull a face at the selection of cookies on display — before deciding to swipe some for herself anyway.

Our investigators spent two days on a nationwide probe at 11 Greggs stores from Newcastle to Brighton noting the shoplifting crisis blighting our high streets. At one branch in Stockwell, South London, we ­witnessed at least one shoplifting incident an hour.

Employees made futile tannoy announcements telling customers: “Shoplifting will not be tolerated.”

But during the 1.30pm lunchtime rush, one man was seen filling his pockets with products from the fridge, before also grabbing several £3 boxes of jam doughnuts.

A member of staff tried to close the doors before he could leave, pointing him to the till to pay.

Fist bump

But the thug then raised his fist before barging past and out the door on to the main road.

We also saw a yob grab bottles of Lucozade energy drink and hot food before being confronted by a shop worker and asked to pay.

The thief handed back the hot food and drinks but kept hold of cookies, before offering the baffled member of staff the fist bump.

He then barged past the employee, walked out and scoffed a cookie as he ambled down the street.

In another case caught on camera, two teenage schoolboys pinched drinks and hot food in ten seconds without saying a word to staff.

Shameless shoplifters are stripping shelves bare at Greggs

A shoplifter walks out with an armful of treats in Leeds Ben Lack Photography Ltd

Two hours later, two men charged in before grabbing two bottles of Lucozade, a portion of chicken bites, a sandwich and a drink.

Stunned local Amira Wallet, 47, who owns a fitness and beauty business, said: “I get that ­people have challenges, but at the same time, the staff are put in a very dangerous position.

“The ones I have spoken to are told not to approach people who are stealing, not to do anything.

“But then it’s unfair because they’re losing money and [thieves] are abusing the staff.”

Meanwhile, in Nottingham a pale, gaunt woman walked into the store on Lister Gate at around 1.15pm, making a beeline for a multi-bag of cookies on display.

A witness said she appeared to screw her face up in disappointment at the selection before nabbing them anyway and a bottle of Fanta.

She then simply strolled out with her arms wrapped around the ­contraband while a worker standing nearby did nothing to stop her.

A witness to the theft said: “He didn’t give chase or anything and he didn’t call the police.

“She wasn’t acting in a normal way — and staff at Greggs don’t get paid enough to confront people ­desperate enough to steal cookies.

“She just got away with it. It was totally shocking.”

At a branch in Newcastle — the city where Greggs was founded in 1951 — one employee said: “You get spat on and pushed around.

‘Nothing can be done’

“It’s getting worse, it’s ridiculous. Shoplifting and abuse is rife everywhere. When people get caught nothing can be done.”

We also watched as shoplifters struck at Greggs in Brighton, on the busy Queen’s Road, where in the space of just hours two men and a woman made off with food.

Shortly before 11am, we saw a man in a white vest grabbing hash browns, a baguette and a box of pink iced doughnuts before wandering out of the bakery.

Just 40 minutes later we filmed a bearded bloke, wearing a black polo neck, pinch two boxes of southern fried potato wedges and two Cokes.

Then, a woman with dreadlocks was recorded by our team grabbing goods from the hot shelf. As she left she shouted something. Staff didn’t move from behind the counter.

Bakery chain Greggs has bouncers on the doors of some stores

In Nottingham a pale, gaunt woman walked into the store on Lister Gate at around 1.15pm, making a beeline for a multi-bag of cookies on display

Local dad Frank Jenkins, 56, told The Sun: “Watching it is ugly, it actually makes you feel unsafe about buying a sandwich.”

Not long after in another branch on Brighton’s Western Road, a man walked out with two Red Bull drinks and a box of wedges.

And just before 5pm on Queen’s Road a thief walked out with two trays of wedges in front of a staff member.

When quizzed about it, they simply said: “Average day.” Two minutes later another man walked out of the store with two trays of wedges and a sandwich.

He was followed by another thief, this time with his face covered, who ran out with two trays of wedges.

Helpless staff tried in vain to remind him that he needed to pay for the food but he ignored them.

Meanwhile, at a Greggs bakery in Worthing, West Sussex, two men were seen helping themselves to hot food multiple times on Friday.

And in Southampton, among dozens of incidents we witnessed, a man came in just after midday, grabbed four items from the hot food cabinet and left, saying: “Sorry guys, I’m homeless, I need to eat.”

Only 350 people in England and Wales have been prosecuted for stealing from Greggs in the past six months. Of those, just 111 — 34 per cent — were given immediate or suspended jail. Most were serial shoplifters with lengthy records.

Greggs boss Roisin Currie told The Sun the sausage roll chain is working with AI facial recognition software to record thefts.

She said details were passed to local police forces who were able to “then pick up the thieves down the road”.

Ms Currie added: “We’ve now got a system where we can take photos of people committing theft on the shop floor and that then instantly goes to the police.”

Other stores have 24-hour access to shoplifting helplines. Last year we told how staff were given body cameras after a rise in assaults.

A Greggs spokeswoman said: “Shoplifting is an industry-wide issue and we take it extremely seriously.

“The safety of our colleagues and customers remains our absolute priority, which is why we’re ­continuing to invest in a range of enhanced security measures.

“We are working closely with the police and wider industry bodies to tackle this issue to ensure that offenders face consequences.”

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This is an important and timely investigation from The Sun, exposing just how bad the shoplifting epidemic has become.

“There has to be consequences for this appalling criminality.”

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “Retail workers should never feel unsafe at work and that is why we are taking robust action to tackle shop theft and protect workers.

“Our landmark Crime and Policing Bill will bring in a specific offence for assaulting retail workers and will end the effective immunity for shop theft of goods under £200.”

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