Met Police 'refused to arrest upmarket thief'

A SHOPLIFTER who stole more than £4,000-worth of goods from a luxury department store was only prosecuted because private detectives launched a case against her

- Jon Austin

It then emerged Diana-Maria Popovici, 34, was wanted in Ireland for money laundering offences.

She was arrested by police on a European Warrant last month in relation to the Irish charges.

But she could have been held 10 months earlier when security guards caught her stealing designer handbags from Fortnum and Mason in London.

They called the Met Police but claim it did not want to proceed with the case.

Dave McKelvey, boss of private investigation firm TM-Eye and sister security company My  Local Bobby, said the force had an opportunity to arrest and charge the Romanian national when she was stopped on July 16 last year.