Dramatic CCTV shows the shocking moment a supermarket security guard is assaulted by a shoplifter after he tries to stop them from robbing the store.
The incident occurred at a Tesco store in Reading, Berkshire, when two shoplifters with a bag of stolen goods made a dash for the exit.
Spotting the second thief, the store’s security guard tries to stop him from leaving with the stolen goods but is soon placed in a violent headlock for his efforts.
And the video footage of the incident, recorded by a customer, shows the brave security guard quickly being overpowered by the larger man.
The latest incident comes just weeks after Rishi Sunak promised to ‘stop shoplifters in their tracks’ with a tough package of measures.
The thief grabs the smaller security guard in a headlock, almost knocking him to the ground
The pair stumble around the store’s entrance as a crowd of shoppers look on at the melee
Members of the public intervene to stop the guard getting injured, but the thieves escape
The aggressor finally leaves the shop, apparently with the entire haul of goods he grabbed
A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023
In response to the epidemic of violent thefts, assaulting a shop worker will be made a specific offence for the first time, the Prime Minister said earlier this month.
Prolific shoplifters will also be fitted with GPS satellite electronic tags so their movements can be tracked.
But only days ago, new date revealed shoplifting has risen to the highest level on record – amid complaints the crime has been effectively ‘decriminalised’.
A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023, up by more than a third (37%) from 315,040 in the previous 12 months.
The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
In the latest incident, the man recording the incident walks up an aisle and films the shelves – which have been cleared out – as he says: ‘No f***ing way, they’re nicking the whole thing.’
The security guard manages to snatch the bag of stolen goods carried by the shoplifter out of his hands and attempts to turn to move it out of reach of the thief.
In return however, the shoplifter spins and puts the security guard into a headlock twisting him towards the floor.
The two grapple for a moment as they each try to get the best of each other in the fight with the shoplifter twisting the security guard’s neck.
The shoplifter appears to have an accomplice also carrying a bag of presumably stolen goods, who casually waits at the door to the shop for his partner in crime.
The thief continues to choke the security guard for a moment causing concerned bystanders and shop workers to rush to his said.
A colleague who attempted to help the security guard can then be heard saying, ‘Let him go, just leave him alone’ as he tries to remove the thief’s grip on the security guard’s neck.
The thief, seeing people rushing to help his opponent, releases the security guard and runs for the door of the shop, with bag in hand.
Both the violent thief and his partner then escape the shop with stolen goods.
The footage of the incident was shared to social media with the caption: ‘Shop thieves at Tesco in Reading.’
One user said: ‘I respect anyone who is a supermarket security guard.’
Another replied: ‘Shoplifting has gotten out of control. Videos like this, just give ideas to other budding shoplifters that they can get away with it.’
Tesco has been contacted for comment.