A serial shoplifter has been jailed – and banned from every BP in South-East London – after stealing nearly £6,500-worth of goods from one Greenwich forecourt.
Over six months, John Harris Bolton stole more than £6,000 of alcohol, meat, and other goods from one BP site.
Through a collaborative approach between the Met police and local businesses Bolton was identified as the thief. Local officers embarked on proactive patrols in the area and secured evidence from the businesses’ systems and CCTV.
Bolton pleaded guilty to 31 offences of theft and has now been jailed for 35 weeks and is banned from entering any BP store in south-east London for five years.
BP UK security manager, Jim Brand, said: “The safety and security of our valued colleagues and customers always comes first. This is a great example of how by working together we can tackle the issue of rising levels of crime and abuse in the retail sector - and send a clear message that crime has no place in our stores.”
Superintendent Rav Pathania, leading local policing in Greenwich, said: “Bolton stole a huge amount of goods, and I’m pleased he’s paid the price for his crimes. We know the damaging effect shoplifting has on businesses, especially the awful impact on workers who feel threatened by those who target their workplace. This was a massive effort which I hope demonstrates how we will drive down crime, listen to community concerns, and tackle criminals who target shops and businesses.”
Michael Walters, area manager, Safer Business Network, said: “Safer Business Network were commissioned by Royal Greenwich Council to implement Business Crime Reduction Partnerships across the borough to improve community safety and reduce crime.
“We believe in collaborative multi-agency problem solving with key stakeholders to find solutions to local problems. This is a perfect example demonstrating the power of intelligence sharing and how working together to identify prolific offenders can mean positive action is taken to protect businesses.”
