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Crime, Consequences and the Strain on Policing: Why the UK Is Reaching a Tipping Point
Across the United Kingdom, many communities are reporting the same experience: rising crime, repeat offenders, declining high streets, and a growing sense that policing is stretched thin. Shoplifting, antisocial behaviour, drug-related offending and low-level violence are becoming normalised in places that were once stable and well ordered. Image: Crime Rising in the United Kingdom - Catch a Thief UK News This is not simply a matter of perception. It is the result of multiple

Catch A Thief UK
4 days ago4 min read


Prolific Shoplifter Jailed After Targeting Boots Three Times in a Single Day
Liverpool , Merseyside — Merseyside Police A prolific shoplifter has been jailed after repeatedly targeting a busy city-centre Boots store, stealing hundreds of pounds’ worth of shampoo and other hair products in a series of brazen thefts carried out within hours. Image: Merseyside Police Prolific Thief Ryan Burgess 30-year-old Ryan Burgess struck the Boots on Market Street, Liverpool, three times on Monday 3 November, returning to the same location within minutes to steal

Catch A Thief UK
Dec 92 min read


"Flamethrower Rapper" Already With Record Now Sentenced Again After Petrol-Station Arson
Catch a Thief Birmingham , UK A 32-year-old rapper, known as Twista Cheese, has been sentenced to six years and nine months in prison, plus a two-year licence period, after a shocking petrol-station attack in which he used a makeshift flamethrower. The court described him as a “dangerous offender”. Image: Convicted Rapper Omar Abdirizak The Holloway Head Service Station Attack The incident took place on 12 January 2025 at the Holloway Head Service Station in Birming

Catch A Thief UK
Nov 303 min read


Summary vs Indictable Offences in the UK
How This Determines What a Security Guard or Member of the Public Can Lawfully Do Understanding the distinction between summary and indictable offences is essential for security professionals, retail staff, and members of the public. It informs how powers of detention, reasonable force, and citizen’s arrest can lawfully be applied. Image: Catch a Thief UK 🔹 1 . Summary Offences Definition : Summary offences are less serious crimes and are only tried in Magistrat

Catch A Thief UK
Nov 263 min read


Sharp Rise in Retail Theft and Violence: Catch a Thief UK Speaks Out on BBC Radio Nottingham
Nottingham, 19 November 2025 Farrah McNutt, founder of Catch a Thief UK, appeared on BBC Radio Nottingham today with host Laurie Dyche, discussing the alarming rise in retail crime and violence across the United Kingdom. BBC Radio Nottingham Interview with Farrah McNutt During the interview, Farrah highlighted how violent incidents and thefts in petrol stations, convenience stores, and other retail outlets have sharply increased in recent years. She spoke candidly about her m

Catch A Thief UK
Nov 192 min read


Violent Shoplifter Who Pretended to Use a Wheelchair Jailed After Attacking Security Guard
Catch a Thief UK – Retail Crime & Safety News A 19-year-old man who pretended to be a wheelchair user to steal beer before violently attacking a security guard has been jailed following a series of dangerous and abusive offences across Kent. Imagine: Kent Police violent robber: Davey Brown Davey Brown, of Winch’s Garth, Staplehurst, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to three years and one month in prison after pleading guilty to robbery, affray, criminal damage,

Catch A Thief UK
Nov 172 min read


Should the public be allowed to carry pepper spray? Are there legal alternatives!
An education feature for Catch a Thief UK by Farrah McNutt A petition currently circulating across the UK has been signed by thousands of people demanding the legal right for members of the public to carry incapacitant sprays (such as pepper spray) for their self‑defence, especially in light of rising knife‑crime and street violence. While the motive behind the petition is understandable, the legal reality remains more complex and simply carrying a spray may expose y

Catch A Thief UK
Nov 125 min read


How Police Tracked and Arrested Train Stabbing Suspect Anthony Williams
Catch a Thief UK News Huntingdon , Cambridgeshire – Monday 3 November 2025 Police have released further details following the dramatic arrest of 32-year-old Anthony Williams, from Peterborough, who was detained at Huntingdon railway station after a mass stabbing aboard the 6:25 pm LNER service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening. How Police Tracked and Arrested Train Stabbing Suspect Anthony Williams Catch a Thief UK News has obtained exclusive foo

Catch A Thief UK
Nov 33 min read


Operation Machinize: How UK Police Are Dismantling the Hidden Economy of the High Street
By the Catch a Thief UK Investigations Team Published : October 21 , 2025 A nationwide crackdown reveals a darker side to Britain’s barber poles and vape clouds. Image: Catch a Thief UK It looked like any other week on Britain’s high streets — clippers buzzing, car washes steaming, and corner shops trading briskly. But behind those open doors, law-enforcement agencies were preparing one of the largest multi-agency crackdowns in recent memory. Operation Machinize, coor

Catch A Thief UK
Oct 214 min read


Catch a Thief UK and Pay My Fuel: Protecting Petrol Stations Retailers and Local Communities Across the United Kingdom
Catch a Thief UK and Pay My Fuel: Protecting Petrol Stations and Local Communities Catch a Thief UK & Pay My Fuel At Catch a Thief UK, we’re proud to be at the forefront of protecting hundreds of family-run petrol stations and local businesses throughout the United Kingdom. In partnership with Pay My Fuel.com, we have helped numerous forecourt operators — including industry leaders like The Motor Fuel Group (MFG) and Morrisons petrol stations — detect, prevent, and recover lo

Catch A Thief UK
Oct 133 min read


Essex Police Arrest Over 2,800 Shoplifters in Two Years as Retail Crime Crackdown Intensifies
Essex Police have made more than 2,800 arrests for shop theft across the county in the past two years, sending a strong message to...

Catch A Thief UK
Sep 192 min read


Retail Crime and Violence in the UK: A Growing Threat to Shops, Staff and Communities
Retail crime in the UK has reached alarming levels. Shoplifting and violence against retail staff have surged to record highs,...

Catch A Thief UK
Aug 263 min read


Prolific Shoplifter Banned from All BP and Shell Garages in Essex for Five Years
Prolific Shoplifter Banned from All BP and Shell Garages in Essex for Five Years A serial shoplifter has been jailed and handed a...

Catch A Thief UK
Aug 22 min read


Neighbourhood Officers Crack Down on Shoplifting with Over 3,600 Arrests in 12 Months
Greater Manchester Police have made more than 3,600 arrests for shoplifting in a landmark year of enforcement and prevention. Image:...

Catch A Thief UK
Jun 262 min read


"Time for a New Approach: The UK’s Class A Drug Crisis Demands Radical Reform"
By Farrah McNutt — Special Contributor The United Kingdom is facing a deepening crisis that goes far beyond crime statistics or rehab...

Farrah McNutt CEO
May 232 min read


Nottingham Easter Egg Thief Jailed Amid Growing Concerns Over Retail Crime Crisis
Nottingham, UK – 28 March 2025 A man who smashed his way through shop doors to steal £100 worth of Easter eggs has been jailed, as...

Catch A Thief UK
Apr 142 min read


Garden Centre Owner in Shock After Brazen Shoplifters Strike
Garden Centre Owner in Shock After Brazen Shoplifters Strike – ITV News Reports Retail crime continues to devastate businesses and...

Catch A Thief UK
Mar 252 min read


Hero Police Officer Tackles Knife-Wielding Attacker in Lewisham as UK Faces Surge in Retail Violence
Officer’s quick thinking leads to knifeman’s arrest and imprisonment A courageous police officer's swift actions have led to the...

Catch A Thief UK
Mar 222 min read


Teenagers Sentenced for Knifepoint Robbery at an Independent Retail Store in Bolton
Three Teenagers Sentenced for Knifepoint Robbery in Bolton Three teenagers have been sentenced for a knifepoint robbery at an...

Catch A Thief UK
Mar 122 min read


Retail Crime Crackdown: Suspected £50,000 Haul Discovered by Peterborough Police in City Centre Raid
Retail Crime Crackdown : Suspected £50,000 Haul Discovered by Peterborough Police in City Centre Raid Following a report of...

Catch A Thief UK
Mar 112 min read
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