Pharmacy plagued by brazen shoplifters forced to take tough steps but still gets raided
A pharmacy in Sutton Coldfield is being repeatedly targeted by brazen shoplifters, despite taking draconian steps to try to keep them away. Walmley Pharmacy in Walmley Close has become a target for criminals who fill up large reusable shopping bags and leave without paying.
Dispirited pharmacy staff say the shop has been hit by shoplifters for months, if not years, and the issues showed no sign of stopping. Staff have had to lock the doors on occasion – forcing customers to wait outside until a staff member lets them in.
But thieves have been spotting their chances with the shop targeted three times in the past ten days alone, on Friday, September 20, Friday, September 27 and Wednesday, October 2.
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The shop’s manager, who asked not to be named said: “We had to lock the door again last Friday. We had another shoplifting. It’s constant now.
“We think they all live together. Police said ‘submit all the evidence’. I have done all that. It’s obviously frustrating for them.
“it happens when we go to the back for prescriptions. I’m kind of frustrated. Don’t get me wrong, the police do try to help. But there’s no neighbourhood watch.
“We think it’s the same group of people that are doing it. They have also done it at the Co-op. I have seen them taking big shopping bags – the Aldi or Asda [reusable] bags and fill them. When it’s really busy, it’s hard to stop them.”
The manager said the shop had had problems with shoplifters ‘for a few years’. “They managed to arrest somebody last year. But it didn’t solve it.”
The shop also has an issue with beggars outside who, staff claimed, intimidated customers going in the pharmacy. The manager said: “It would be nice to move the beggars along. They come with a big dog as well.”
The dismayed manager felt for her staff. She added: “The girls work so hard. They put all the stuff out and replenish the shop. We are only a small business.
“The last few weeks we sometimes have been targeted twice a week. Now we try to make sure someone is at the front. We lock the door when it gets very busy and also at other times to try and stop the shoplifting.”
The shop is considering taking more counter-measures – reconfiguring the shop to make it harder for thieves. One of the issues is its automatic doors, which makes it accessible for those who need it but also easier to access by the shoplifters.
The manager added: “At the moment with all the cutbacks with the NHS we are constantly on skeleton staff. My staff are very passionate about their jobs.”
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A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: “We were called to a theft at a pharmacy in Walmley Close, Sutton Coldfield, on Friday afternoon, September 27. We understand a second theft was also carried out the previous Friday, September 20.
“CCTV is being retrieved and will be reviewed as we work to identify and trace those responsible. We know shoplifting can have a real impact on local businesses and our neighbourhood teams carry out regular patrols around shopping areas as part of our continuing support of local traders.”