No such thing as 'petty' crime...it must be stopped

A VIDEO went viral on the internet last week. It was filmed inside Boots the Chemist on Station Road, in my Chingford constituency. Anyone watching it could see two people with large bags clearing the shelves.

- Iain Duncan Smith

At least one shopper could be seen running out of the shop, petrified, and one man standing behind the cash till, frozen in fear.

There is a good reason why they are so frightened.

It is because on countless occasions those who have resisted such thieves have been attacked brutally, and even threatened with knives and hammers.

The sad fact is, this isn’t just happening in my constituency but everywhere.

These criminals are utterly brazen. They are so unconcerned that anything will happen to them that they don’t even bother to cover their faces.

They run into the shops, clearly targeting the higher-priced items, and then clear the shelves.

They are blatant because they don’t believe the police will do anything. Sadly, they are all too often right about that.

This is the second time in two weeks that the Boots has been hit, losing them around £10,000.

They are not alone.

Between the Co-Op and Boots in Station Road, over the last five to six months, thieves have stolen goods to the value of £125,000 – from just two shops. And we know there are many, many more.