A Slough shoplifter has admitted to stealing a bunch of flowers on Valentines’ Day, after the incident was captured on CCTV and led to a prompt police response.
The 17-year-old teenager was caught stealing the flowers from a petrol station along the Farnham Road, Slough, by an operator monitoring CCTV cameras during the early hours of Sunday (14/2). He was seen to hide the flowers inside his jacket before making off on foot.
The operator immediately alerted Slough police to the incident, providing them with a detailed description of the offender.
Slough Shift officers attended the location, along with police dog-handler PC Michael Day and his three year old dog Merlin, who managed to track the individual.
The 17-year-old from Greenford, Middlesex, was subsequently arrested and taken to Maidenhead police station where he admitted to stealing the flowers. He was fined £80 for theft and released from custody.
Peter Webster, Slough CCTV manager, said: “This is an excellent example of the police and the council working together to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
“Throughthe use of CCTV wewere able to track the thief from the point he stole the flowers and guide the police tointercept him, ensuring he didn’t get away with the theft.
“The thief did not have a clue we were watching him so closely and looked very surprised to find the police dog waiting just around the corner. On seeing the police officer with his dog the thief decided to make a run for it. As it turned out, he couldn’t run faster than Merlin!”
Thames Valley Police ~ Slough
