I got someone arrested yesterday....

[VHG]

What constitutes theft from a supermarket?

I was in a local supermarket yesterday and wandreded down the alcohol aisle.

There was a guy acting very suspiciously. He had a load of cases of alcohol in his trolly (wine etc), and he had a few of those hessian shopping bags you can buy in supermakets.

He seemed to be pushing the hessian bags down all the sides of his trolly to hide the contents.

I then saw him walk down the crisps aisle putting loads of large bags of crisps on top of the wine caes, seemingly to hide the contents of the trolly.

I mentioned it to one of the supervisors and they swung into action, getting security to monitor him, and getting a few staff to stand round the exit.

I stood around the exit watching from a distance to see what went on.

After a few minutes I saw him push his trolly down an unused till aisle and go towards the exit. But then I saw to my surprise his trolly was empty.

He left the shop, but then a few shop staff grabbed him and took him back into the store and rang for the police.

I spoke to the supervisor and she said he had dumped all his stuff from the trolly in one of the aisles (he may have suspected he was being watched).

I said I thought you could only be arrested once you took the stuff out the store without paying, but she said if they could prove intent to steal that was enough.

So can you be arrested if the staff "suspect" you of shoplifting, or do you actually have to walk out the store with the stuff, without paying, before they can grab you?

Because as far as I know he did not actually steal anything, he just acted suspiciously within the store.

[Old_Geezer]

Very few, if indeed there is anyone but me, if they decide they don't want something in their trolley after all, return it to its proper location, Pumbah. I'm half convinced everyone else thinks it a game to dump stuff anywhere, presumably in the hope some innocent shopper picks it up in mistake for what should be there, and buys it. Such is the society we have.

[Bazile]

Crikey , so i could have been arrested for taking that box of apple crumble from my trolley, last saturday , and leaving it on a shelf in the washing powder section ?

[Svejk]

What a very strange story.
What business of yours is it what anybody puts in their trolley.
If this unhealthy interest persists I'd suggest you see a doctor.