Longniddry shop staff warn businesses to stay vigilant after shoplifting attempt caught on CCTV
Staff confronted the man after he tried to fit a whole box of cleaning capsules down his jacket
A local shop has released CCTV footage of an alleged attempted shoplifter in a bid to warn nearby businesses.
Staff at Longniddry Village Shop first spotted the man at around 2:40pm on Sunday, August 23 and said they initially gave him “the benefit of the doubt” when they saw him placing items into his bag.
The video shows the man walking up and down the aisles and trying to load up a white plastic bag with items before dropping a bottle of blue sports drink on the floor only to try to shove the drinks bottle into his jogger pockets.
Unable to fit the bottle into his pocket, the CCTV footage shows him shove it into his jacket before reaching for a whole box of cleaning capsules which he unceremoniously stashes through the neck of his jacket.
Shop workers quickly became suspicious of the man, who they say became “loud and aggressive” when they tried to confront him.
“He eventually left the premises without taking anything,” a spokesperson for the village store told the Evening News.
They said the man, who is now banned from the store, left voluntarily without needing to be forced out or physically removed.
The shop on Longniddry’s Main Street warned local businesses in the area to “stay vigilant” and to make their staff aware.
Their spokesperson added: “Unfortunately, this is not the first incident of this nature we’ve experienced, and we feel the situation is becoming increasingly worse.
“The police were not contacted on this occasion because no goods were ultimately taken, and staff did not feel it was necessary to use police resources for what appeared to be a relatively minor incident.”
They are calling on anyone who might recognise the man to contact them privately.