Instant Karma! Moment Tesco staff and security battle to stop thieves before crook is hit by car

By Matthew Cox 11:27 09 Jul 2024, updated 16:34 09 Jul 2024

This is the dramatic moment a shoplifter is met by some instant karma - getting hit by a car as he fled the scene of a booze robbery.

One customer in the busy London store filmed brave Tesco staff trying to thwart two crooks stealing tobacco and alcohol from behind the tills.

The two thieves, clad in black, got behind the checkout area and started loading bottles of spirits and packs of rolling tobacco into their bags.

One appears to escape with no difficulty, but the second gets trapped temporarily by a combination of customers, Tesco employees and security.

As he eventually wrestles his way out, after some bottles fell out the hold all and shattered on the floor, one customer can be heard saying: 'Call an ambulance, he's just been hit by a car.'

Have YOU seen shoplifting near you? Email matthew.cox@mailonline.co.uk 

The two-minute video begins with voices urging people to 'go, go, go,' and 'call the police'.

Footage shows the area behind the till where the two thieves can be seen piling alcohol into their bags. 

The first thief manages to leave the Express store, in Wanstead High Street, with no hinderance, but his accomplice can be seen struggling to get back out from behind the tills as a brave customer holds the door shut.

At the other end of the tills, a member of staff tried to block the way in with a pile of crates of products, however, the robber managed to squeeze through - by which time a security guard had closed the shop's automatic doors.

The thief tried to force them back open, but in doing so had his bag grabbed by another member of staff as he wrestled with the security guard.

Bottles are heard shattering on the floor as the escapee looses his grip, but he manages to prize the doors apart before grabbing his bag back off the floor and doing a runner.

As the customer filming the incident leaves the store, another customer can be heard claiming the thief was hit by a car, encouraging someone to call an ambulance.

However, when the footage moves outside, there is no sign of the crook, until two people can be seen running away in the distance.

London Ambulance Service have no record of a team being sent to the location on Sunday, when the incident occurred. 

After the clip was shared online, viewers commented: 'Well done Tesco staff...

'Security guard did an amazing job...

'Security really proving their worth...

'So much chaos. Working in retail is not for the weak.'

The Met Police and Tesco have also been approached for comment.

It follows shoplifting offences hitting a record high last year with complaints the crime has been effectively 'decriminalised'.

A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023, up by more than a third (37%) from 315,040 in the previous 12 months.

The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Retail bosses have accused ministers of allowing shoplifting to become effectively decriminalised, with many police forces failing to attend the majority of reports and failing to gather any evidence when they do.