An enraged shop worker has been dubbed ‘Superwoman’ after she tackled a suspected thief in a firm-handed display of justice.
The woman was caught on camera pinning the alleged crook against the wall after he attempted to sprint out of a Co-op store in Edgeley, Stockport.
Wearing a baseball cap and Nike jumper, the man was filmed being chased through the store by three members of staff.
Clutching a bottle of detergent and what appeared to be a pack of meat, the fleet-footed thug skipped over a customer’s foot as they tried to trip him up.
But his luck run out when he reached the exit and came face-to-face with the furious female worker, who charged at him.
Do YOU know the brave Co-op worker? Email [email protected]
In a moment of instant karma, the woman is filmed grabbing the man by the scruff of the neck with one hand and shoving him back into the store.
Pinning him to the wall, the courageous Co-op worker yells: ‘Do you want me again!? Do you want me again!?’
‘Put it down,’ the worker adds, as the cowardly thug backs down, saying: ‘All right, all right.’
Three other members of staff come to her aid, with one taking the pack of meat from the shoplifter’s hand.
The dramatic video, shared on social media last night, is the latest to capture the shoplifting epidemic blighting Britain’s beleaguered retailers.
It comes as police forces have largely stopped punishing shoplifters as the number of offences rises to record levels, official figures revealed.
Retail experts have repeatedly warned that the rise of shoplifting is being driven by the perception that it was a risk-free crime.
And the idea that most shoplifters are getting off scot-free is supported by newly uncovered statistics, which show all forms of punishment are in decline.
Just 431 shoplifters in the year to March received fixed penalty notices – the lowest form of punishment for goods under £100 – down 98 per cent from 19,419 a decade ago.
The use of cautions, which are added to an offender’s criminal record, has also plummeted from 16,281 in 2014 to only 2,077 in the last year – a drop of 87 per cent.
People have since taken to social media to praise the brave Co-op worker after the video of tackling the alleged thief was shared today.
‘Wow, that woman is a SUPERWOMAN! The way she grabbed him, you go girl!’ wrote one person.
Another added: ‘She deserves a pay rise! What a legend.’
‘That lady is a hero.’ wrote a third person, with a another adding: ‘Fair play to that bird [sic] braver than most fellas.’
has approach Co-op and Greater Manchester Police for comment.