A grandmother was forced to fend off a knife-wielding robber with a stool after he stormed behind the till of a convenience store in Middlesbrough. The incident, captured on CCTV, was shared by store owner Bay Bashir to highlight the severity of the UK's shoplifting crisis.
Robber falls off bike after grabbing gin bottles
The man demanded cash before forcing his way behind the counter and grabbing an armful of gin bottles. He then attempted to escape on his bicycle but fell to the floor, smashing the stolen goods.
Mr Bashir, 53, who runs the Beechwood store, said this is far from an isolated incident in the area. Shoplifting rates in the Cleveland police force area, which covers Middlesbrough, are among the highest in the country.
Owner speaks out about scale of problem
“It’s huge,” said Mr Bashir, speaking to the Express as part of the Stop The Shoplifters campaign. “I have to protect my staff,” he added, noting that the grandmother involved is a mother and grandmother who fears repercussions. “They are the ones who have to live through it. It’s unfair for them. Nobody should have to come into work to just do a job and have to put up with that.”
The offender, Jason Dixon, 50, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place. He has been remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing on September 9, 2026.
Extraordinary security measures in place
Mr Bashir has implemented extensive security measures across his five stores in the Teesside area. All staff wear body cameras and headsets for instant communication, thick counter screens remain from the Covid era, and a panic button provides a live connection to police. The office and behind the counter are filled with CCTV feedback, and large bollards at store fronts prevent ram-raids.
“It’s all about prevention,” said Mr Bashir. The robbery occurred at his Beechwood store.
Financial impact on retailers
Retailers have spent £1.8bn on their own security, while the cost of theft has soared to £2.2bn, a cost inevitably passed on to customers. Mr Bashir, who has run convenience stores for 30 years, believes the Government can do more.
“People can blame the police. But I know if it’s a prolific shoplifter, that they can only do so much. Criminals keep themselves updated to all of the rules,” he explained.
Criticism of £200 rule and benefit deductions
The £200 ‘rule’, which sees thefts under that amount handled quickly in magistrates' courts with lower penalties, has had a significant impact, even though there are plans to scrap it. Mr Bashir also criticised the cap on Universal Credit deductions at 15%, saying that once that limit is reached, “it’s a free hit”. He added: “The whole system is messed up.”
Shoplifters often target easy-to-carry, high-value items such as alcohol, washing powder, and coffee. The situation is so severe that Mr Bashir can only put out a couple of packs of certain products at a time to prevent whole shelves being looted.
Stark warning against victimless crime myth
Mr Bashir dismissed the notion that shoplifting is a victimless crime. “A chocolate bar today and then what tomorrow. It has a knock-on effect on everybody’s everyday spend. Everybody’s basket spend is going to go up and up and up. It’s costing everybody - the whole country - more money.”
Official responses
Chief Inspector Jamie Bell, Cleveland Police's lead for retail crime, said the force is aware of the challenges and is working hard alongside retailers to tackle them. “Retail crime has a significant impact on local businesses, which is why we are committed to doing all we can.”
A spokesperson for Middlesbrough Council said its community safety teams work directly with businesses, providing advice and equipment to help premises protect themselves. They added that CCTV monitoring will be strengthened and new support workers will work with vulnerable individuals to reduce repeat offending.
A government spokesperson said: "For too long, retail crime has been dismissed as low-level offending. It harms shopworkers, damages businesses and hollows out communities." They noted that shop theft is down 4% on last year and charges are up 19%, adding: "We are giving police the powers they need to crack down on perpetrators, including scrapping the £200 rule that lets too many offenders off the hook."
