'I lock shoplifters in until I get my stock back'

5 hours ago

Sarah-May Buccieri

News image — Rob Ellis says shoplifters now avoid his store

BBC A man standing in front of a kiosk in his shop. In the background, spirits can be seen on shelves and there is a stand full of lottery scratch cards. The man is wearing a black jacket with a red jumper underneath. He has brown eyes and brown hair. — Rob Ellis says shoplifters now avoid his store

A shopkeeper who locks shoplifters in his store says the measure is acting as a deterrent.

Rob Ellis, 53, who runs Old Town Store, in Hull city centre, said he lost about £400 a week to theft last year.

But he now "sleeps better at night" after shutters were installed to prevent shoplifting and attempted burglaries.

According to Ellis, when he spots someone attempting to steal, he lowers the shutters, calls the police and tells them: "You're not going out unless we get our stock back."

Ellis said the shutters were installed four months ago and, along with an increased police presence, had noticeably reduced the amount of shoplifting incidents and attempted burglaries, saving him about £1,000 this year so far.

He said it could be "worrying" to be locked in with a suspected shoplifter and he did not ask his staff to follow his example.

"But I do know how to deal with the majority of them," he added. "Once they are confronted, it is very rare that they carry on."

A man standing next to white metal shutter doors, which have been brought down over a shop doorway. He is wearing a black zipped fleece. On the wall behind him, a poster advertises takeaway coffee. — Ellis says measures such as shutters can help prevent shoplifting

Ellis said last year had been "horrendous" and "must have cost us £5,000 in repairs".

He previously told the BBC his staff had been intimidated with knives, syringes and other weapons by shoplifters who were "brazenly just filling their bags".

But there had been a noticeable decrease in incidents in recent months, as officers from Humberside Police now frequently patrolled the area and regularly visited his store.

According to police data, there were 48 reported cases of shoplifting in the St Andrew's and Docklands ward in January, down from 62 in January 2025.

Ellis said he had not always reported shoplifting incidents in the past, but was doing so now.

"There's a good working relationship with the police and all the shopkeepers in the area," he said.

Shoplifters were "leaving us alone now", he added.

Glass screens wrap around a kiosk till in a shop. Tobacco products can be seen inside the screen. Outside the screen are stacks of Easter eggs of various brands and colours. Shelves full of other produce can be seen in the background. — A kiosk screen in a Sainsbury's Local store in Willerby

In February, the latest edition of the British Retail Consortium's annual crime report suggested there were "early signs of progress" on tackling shop crime nationally, though the scale of the problem remained "unacceptable".

The report found violence and abuse against shop workers in the UK had fallen from 2,000 incidents a day to 1,600, following improvements in police response and sustained investment by retailers.

Five miles outside Hull city centre, in the leafy suburb of Willerby, a kiosk screen has been installed around the tills at a Sainsbury's convenience store, in order to "add an extra layer of security".

A spokesperson for the business said: "We regularly review the security measures in our stores.

"Although kiosk screens are new in our Willerby Local, they've been in place in many of our convenience stores for months."

A woman with white hair wearing a red coat and blue jumper, with a black bag strap on her shoulder. She is standing in front of a shop, which can be seen out of focus in the background. — Paddy Jones says more needs to be done to combat shoplifting

The spokesperson added: "Customers are at the heart of all we do and our colleagues remain committed to providing them with the same warm and friendly service."

Shoppers said they understood why the change was necessary.

Paddy Jones, 88, a regular at the store, said she believed the new measure was a good idea and "all should start doing it" if it helped to deter shoplifters.

"They don't care, because who's going to stop them?" she asked.

A woman with brown hair tied up. She is smiling and has blue eyes. She is wearing a blue tracksuit top with with stripes down the arms and a white collar. Cars can be seen passing on a road in the background. — Paris Morgan, who works in retail, says she had been attacked by shoplifters in the past

Paris Morgan, 19, said she worked at a store in the area and regularly encountered shoplifters.

"It's very bad and they'll do anything to get it [stock]," she said. "They've injured all of us before."

Ch Insp Alasdair Booth, Humberside's Police's lead officer for retail crime, said the force took "all reports of shop theft seriously" and assessed "cases individually".

"We do not work to a monetary value threshold for prosecuting offenders," Booth added.

"Our focus is on identifying repeat offenders quickly and preventing further harm."

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