To think that if Tesco suspected Anthony Worrall Thompson of shoplifting...

[WorraLiberty]

They should have treated him like any other customer and not set up a special camera to 'make sure he hadn't not paid by accident'

I can't imagine them doing this for anyone else

www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/01/09/anthony-worrall-thompson-arrested-for-shoplifting-cheese-and-wine-115875-23691059/

I couldn't agree with you more, if i were to swipe some cheese from Tescos (just said on tv cheese is most shop lifted item?!) should i expect to be on the front page of a tabloid the next day?! I think it's terrible.

I read it was something to do with him being " High Profile "
But I agree with you, I've been in the Henley branch of Tesco's and have seen him there. He strutts round like he owns the place and if anyone goes near him, he stares at them as if to say "yes it is me " I did notice what was in his trolley though!!

YANBU

I'd be a great equal-opportunities security guard because I am rubbish at recognising people.

That's the thing

I know they have to be careful about who they accuse, but 'low profile' people still have a reputation and their jobs to think about.

I'd like to think they exercised the same amount of caution with everyone.

I'd like to know how he skirted the self-checkout thing! If you skip the blipping and put the thing in the bag you get that 'unexpected item in the bagging area' announcement. AWT Criminal Mastermind? Who knew? As for the 'special camera' element.... a friend who is a Waitrose manager did something similar when he suspected a gang of employees were operating a mass swindle.

I wouldn't have thought it was a special camera. Lots of supermarkets have cameras above each till which are linked to the till's activity so that they can monitor the cashier.

I know but unless Joe Bloggs makes a huge noise about being accused of shop lifting then they are not likely to be spread all over a tabloid. They may,however, have it reported in their local paper but no one would care accept the accused... Its not big news

Although I did use to be a store manager for a large retailer and we would use covert cameras if we suspected staff of stealing. I would have to leave work with all staff as usual and then sneak back in an hour or so later for the camera to be installed.

I'd imagine their liability for defamation and pr exposure would be far greater if they had wrongly accused a celebrity and someone with media connections of shop-lifting so think this was entirely sensible business on their part.

It was a secret camera they had installed Marrow because the security guards suspected him.

I feel a bit sorry for him. I know I shouldn't, but he must be a fairly messed up.

Random 'a' in there.

Stores will set up extra cameras to target known or suspected habitual shoplifters so i dont think the store has done anything unusual.

Perhaps he'll bring out a new series

Can't Pay, Won't Pay

Ready, Steady, Crook....

Worra

Does anyone else think he looks like a very old peter andre :)

Cogito

No I can't say I do, foglike?

maybe he was going round to Richard madeley's for dinner lol

loosyloo "like"

I feel sorry for him. IMO shoplifting is symptomatic of mental health problems unless it's clearly done for financial gain, but stealing food hardly qualifies in that respect. I also think 'celebrities' have more to lose in terms of their livelihood and publicity and their names shouldn't be splashed all over the press. Is it really in the public interest?

I felt sorry for him too, being so publicly humiliated.

lots of sympathy here for AWT.

I think it's an example of very entitled behaviour "I AM AWT!! I will drink wine and eat steak even if I can't afford to. I will steal it & sod you all." (In Eddie Izzard voice).

But I will concede that he is more than likely suffering from some emotional/mental breakdown to be behaving this way - either that or extreme arrogance (which I've observed causing lots of havoc in the lives of many men of a certain age).

I don't think it's odd they did the camera. If they knew what he was up to they needed to make it water-tight as I imagine he would have v good lawyers.

I'd have thought they'd do this for anyone who they thought was regularly nicking stuff TBH.