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A brazen couple were caught stealing a £40 bottle of perfume from Ethel Loves Me in Tenterden, Kent, before happily chatting to members of staff in the shop
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CCTV shows thief stealing from Ethel Loves Me shop in Kent
A shop owner was left fuming when a customer who had been happily chatting with members of staff was caught on CCTV brazenly putting a bottle of perfume in her bag.
The shoplifters had visited Ethel Loves Me in Tenterden, Kent last month where they chatted with staff. After they left, they realised a £40 bottle of perfume made by a local vendor was missing. When they checked CCTV they saw the woman test the perfume, decide she likes it after checking with her partner- and then pick up a full bottle which she popped in her oversized bag with a little check of the camera right above their heads. After browsing for a little longer, they left the scene.
Owner Jo Dorey told the Mirror : “I was really quite angry about it. We’re desperately trying to get people into our shop and don’t need people like that.
“It cost £40, but stealing is stealing. It was made by a local person which makes us feel worse because they have made this. We have had to take the bottles off the shelves and just have the testers out, we’ve had to take them away.
“It was a middle aged couple. The staff member said she was chatting to them and they continued to go around the shop, we hope nothing else was taken. She came to us and said she thought a bottle of perfume was missing.
“We always think it’s not the type of shop people would steal from. It made us livid.”
Helen Barton, who created the perfume, shared a Facebook post last month in an attempt to shame the couple. She wrote: “This is a photo of a woman stealing a large bottle of my perfume from a new high street shop in Tenterden. Ethel Loves Me is an independent store that celebrates small businesses like mine, and seeing someone stealing from there is so disappointing. I’m hoping this gets back to her, and she gets the shame she deserves.”
The post sparked fury among most people who could not believe how brazen the couple were. One said: “Bloody disgusting stealing off anyone but stealing off a small business seems really personal to those working their arses off to keep their business afloat. People saying they think they are local, I’m local and I can safely say I don’t recognise either one of them.”
Another added: “It is such a lovely shop. I also love the one in Rye, what is wrong with people?”
A spokesman for Kent Police said: “It was reported to Kent Police at around 3pm on Tuesday 9 July, a bottle of perfume had been stolen from a premises on High Street, Tenterden. Anyone with information can contact Kent Police quoting 46/114304/24.”
