Braintree: Store detective claims to have thwarted 2,000 shoplifters (From Braintree and Witham Times)
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Braintree: Store detective claims to have thwarted 2,000 shoplifters
12:00pm Saturday 6th October 2012 in News
Braintree: Store detective claims to have thwarted 2,000 shoplifters
A store detective who claims to have thwarted more than 2,000 shoplifters believes Braintree is one of the worst towns for drug related thefts.
In his last ten years of patrolling the streets and shops of Essex Andy Charlott says he has been threatened with hyperdermic needles, thrown into shelves and attacked after giving evidence in court.
The 40-year-old of Witham underwent a complete career change from carer to security guard and began training to become a store detective, employed by companies to safeguard their stock.
He said: “Braintree is probably the worst town for drug related theft in Essex.
“It is such a small town but I used to get three to four per day.”
His worst case in the town centre was when a man pulled a hyperdermic needle out and Mr Charlott “dropped him” to the floor.
An Essex Police spokesman did not believe Braintree was the worst in the county for drug related theft.
Braintree district commander Chief Insp Nick Lee said: “We are aware of the link between crime and drug abuse.
“We are continuosly tackling drug abuse problems through ever increasing intelligence led drug raids to clamp down on class A and B drug abuse.”
He added that between April and September 2011 there were 137 shoplifting offences compared to 113 in the same period this year.
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Comments (1)
10:25pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Keep Essex Green says...
So mant empty properties, half of Braintree doesn't speak English as it's main language, well not from what I hear anyway in the towncentre, this place is going downhill...fast.