Shoplifters sent to court without being arrested

A scheme to summon suspected shoplifters to court without arresting them will speed up justice over Christmas, police say.

Newcastle City Centre shop owners are sending CCTV footage of culprits caught in the act straight to police, who fast-track them to court without them being in custody.

Northumbria Police said so far 58 out of 60 people had pleaded guilty after being confronted with CCTV footage, resulting in £2,700 in fines and £7,700 compensation for retailers.

A force spokesman said shoplifters often thought the chance of being caught was low, but prosecuting them more quickly and frequently acted as a "deterrent".

To join the scheme the 29 retailers that signed up had to have good quality CCTV cameras that could clearly film offenders picking up items and leaving without paying.

It is a joint venture between police and NE1 Business Improvement District (BID), which represents 1,300 retailers.

They send footage straight to police and suspects receive a postal summons to court.

Tariq Albassam, BID director of operations, said repeat offenders believed they were "untouchable" but were now getting the message their crimes would not be "tolerated".

Ch Insp Rob Bosson said it significantly reduced the amount of time it took to progress a shoplifting case to court, "allowing us to deal with more cases at a quicker pace than before".

"Many repeat shoplifters often commit such offences because they believe the risk is low and that it's worth the reward.

"But criminals who continue to offend should expect to be put in front of a judge more often and without us having to speak to them directly."

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