Suspected burglar found under bed in shoplifting and burglary crackdown

Over seven days of action between 25 September and 7 October, South Gloucestershire’s Neighbourhood Policing Team was joined by operational support units and roads policing officers to target the biggest community concerns in the area. 

The additional resource enabled officers to gather intelligence on and arrest perpetrators of crime in local communities, including the arrest of a suspect connected to eight burglaries in Winterbourne, Hambrook and Yate.  

The 43-year-old man, who is suspected of stealing garden machinery, power tools and bicycles from garages and garden sheds, was arrested on Tuesday 1 October at a property in Coalpit Heath. The suspect was discovered underneath a bed and arrested at the scene. He has since been bailed pending further investigation. 

Another significant outcome followed a ‘test purchase’ operation in Patchway, Filton and Stoke Gifford on Thursday 3 October. Assisted by a group of police cadets, the exercise uncovered 75% of shops (6 out of 8) were selling vapes to children without compulsory ID checks. Action will now be taken against the offending retail premises by Avon and Somerset Police’s Licensing Team and South Gloucestershire Trading Standards. 

Business crime and shoplifting remained areas of focus on Thursday 3 October and Saturday 5 October. Officers carried out a mix of plain-clothed and uniformed patrols at locations including Kings Chase Shopping Centre, Emersons Green Retail Park, Downend Hight Street, The Mall and Cribbs Causeway Retail Park to help tackle ongoing issues around shoplifting in the community. 

As well as acting as a visible deterrent, these patrols resulted in three arrests for theft. A teenager caught shoplifting was also issued with a Community Resolution Order, along with a referral to the Youth Alcohol and Drug Diversion Scheme after cannabis was found in his possession. 

Other activities throughout the week included: 

• Motorcycle theft – on Wednesday 25 September, activity targeted motorcycle theft and motorcycle-enabled crime in the Yate and Chipping Sodbury areas following a rise in reported thefts. Roads policing officers assisted neighbourhood policing teams throughout the day, successfully recovering two stolen motorcycles and seizing a van linked to motor vehicle theft. 

• Road safety – while conducting proactive patrols, officers arrested a driver for driving under the influence of alcohol in Yate on Wednesday 2 October.  

• Exploitation – individuals identified as vulnerable were visited across locations to provide support and advice. This led to the arrest of a suspect wanted on warrant for being involved in the exploitation of a vulnerable person.  

• Drugs – plain-clothed and uniformed officers worked together to disrupt low-level drug dealing in Thornbury and Lyde Green. 

• Community engagement – PCSOs attended several events and stores across the week, including at Co-Op in Downend, providing crime prevention advice to local residents. 

Neighbourhood Inspector Dudley Bond said: “These days of targeted action have been an opportunity for us to use additional resources from across Avon and Somerset to achieve some great results for South Gloucestershire.  

“We wanted to prioritise the areas of highest concern affecting our communities, including business crime and burglary, motorcycle theft and exploitation. 

“If you have information related to any of these issues, we urge you to get in touch. In the meantime, our officers will continue to work hard every day to ensure South Gloucestershire remains a safe place for everyone.”