Police issue CCTV of man they want to talk to after £850 of Champagne stolen from Waitrose

Police issue CCTV of man they want to talk to after £850 of Champagne stolen from Waitrose Comes after Andy Burnham said he wants police forces to take a ‘strong line against shoplifting’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Police have issued an appeal after £850 worth of Champagne was stolen from Waitrose. Hampshire Police released an image of a man they would like to talk to about the shoplifting incident. A statement read: “We are issuing an image of a man we would like to speak to following a shoplifting incident in Havant. “At about 12.10pm on Monday 27 July, a man entered Waitrose on North Street and stole 17 bottles of champagne, worth a total of £850. “As part of our ongoing enquiries we are issuing an image of a man we would like to speak to. “If you recognise this man, or have any information regarding this incident, please call 101 quoting reference 44260358078.” The appeal comes after Andy Burnham said he wants police forces in England and Wales to “take a strong line against shoplifting”. The Prime Minister said where police chiefs claim they cannot clamp down on shoplifting, thieves see a “green light” to steal from shops. Mr Burnham visited a high street on earlier this month in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, where he warned towns “have been hollowed out, particularly in former industrial areas”. Asked about shoplifting being a problem for high street retailers, Mr Burnham, who was previously the mayor of Greater Manchester, told LBC: “The shoplifting issue is again something that needs to be looked at. “Learning from my Greater Manchester experience, where we had a situation where, in the past, GMP (Greater Manchester Police) said, ‘Oh, we can’t prioritise shoplifting anymore’. “That to me is the wrong thing to say because it offers a green light. “And so, under the current leadership, GMP have taken a really strong line against shoplifting, and it’s right – businesses deserve that support. “I would want all police forces in England and Wales to do exactly the same. “Take a strong line against shoplifting because I actually subscribe to what people would call the ‘broken windows theory’ of policing. “If you let some things go, you’re actually creating the conditions for a lot more to then follow in behind, get a hold of everything.” The broken windows theory is the idea that rundown places, with buildings with lots of broken windows and covered with graffiti, send a signal that rule-breaking is going unpunished. This impression in turn attracts criminals into an area. “I don’t consider shoplifting to be a small thing,” Mr Burnham continued. “I think it can make staff and customers feel very fearful – it can drag down the perception of safety in a particular place if it’s left unchecked.” Shoplifting has fallen by 4% over the past year, with 507,086 offences recorded by forces in England and Wales in 2025/26, down from a record 530,324 in 2024/25. But the number of offences classed as robbery of businesses has nearly doubled, from 15,546 in 2024/25 to 29,669 in 2025/26. This could be down to a clarification issued to forces by the Home Office in April 2025, setting out that where someone has entered a retail premises, steals, then either uses or threatens violence against staff or other people, the offence should be recorded as robbery of business property, not shoplifting. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments