Shoplifter stole Jellycat toys from my garden center, I found them and provided CCTV to the police, but no arrests yet

A disgruntled shopkeeper has hit out at police after they have yet to apprehend a thief who swiped Jellycat toys from their garden centre. 

Charlie Groves, a 46-year-old resident of Bridport, Dorset, took matters into his own hands when he spotted a woman on CCTV cameras cramming toys valued at approximately £400 into a baby carriage occupied by her child.

The security footage captures the thief snatching Jellycat toys, which included a hedgehog priced at £59, from Groves Nurseries before making a swift exit without making any payment on the 1st of October.

Mr Groves was able to decipher the woman’s identity by working out her vehicle’s personalised number plate. 

He also managed to find later her husband’s Vinted account after discovering one of the stolen items on the resale website.

After carrying out his own ‘detective work’ he eventually discovered her Facebook profile and handed all the information over to Dorset Police.

However Mr Groves, who runs the garden centre, has been left furious that no arrests have been made months later. 

It is understood that Dorset Police have confirmed that ‘further enquires are ongoing’. 

He told the Telegraph: ‘We went to the police with all of the CCTV and the number plates and we haven’t heard anything back from them unfortunately. It’s frustrating.’ 

Mr Groves explained that he was was asked for a written statement after logging the incident, but no officers had come to take it in person. 

He believes the police have not done enough when it comes to bringing the shoplifter to justice. 

‘I know they are under-resourced, I understand for every petty crime there’s limited time, but this was £400 worth of stuff,’ he said.

‘We can’t give the police much more information – we gave them number plates, description and clear CCTV.’ 

He told the publication that he had given all the evidence to the force ‘on a plate’ and there was nothing more the shop could do. 

Mr Groves said that the ordeal had left him feeling ‘powerless’ having already spent money on both CCTV and security staff to prevent these kind of incidents.

The 46-year-old said both the resale website and the police force should take responsibility.

It is understood that Dorset Police received a report of stolen goods a week after the incident on October 7. 

But as there was ‘no immediate threat, risk or harm’, Mr Groves was given a ‘theft pack’ to fill out.

Chief Inspector Alyssa Forrest, of Dorset Police, said: ‘We recognise the significant impact that shoplifting has on a business and we will ensure that the victim is informed as the investigation continues with any significant updates.

‘Dorset Police is committed to supporting businesses and in our drive to fight business crime, Operation Shopkeeper was launched to target prolific offenders, secure evidence and put them before the courts. 

‘It is a robust whole-system approach seeking long term prevention of offending.

‘Many people believe shoplifting is essentially a victimless crime, but this is not the case. Retail theft is very costly for communities, businesses and the economy.

‘Working with the Investigation and Resolution Centre (IRC) in Dorset Police, vulnerable locations and repeat offenders will be identified and communicated to Crime Prevention Design Advisors, who liaise with local Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to support those businesses. 

‘Our local neighbourhood officers will also proactively target those areas, offering a visible presence to deter criminality. 

‘Local councils will then be engaged with to implement Community Orders, to deter future offending.’

MailOnline has approached Vinted for comment.