A shop owner in East Lothian confronted a man caught on CCTV pocketing items from the shelves of his store. The incident took place at the Longniddry Village Shop on Kitchener Crescent at around 2.40pm on Sunday, August 23.
Footage shows man filling pockets and bag
In the CCTV footage, the man can be seen removing goods from the shelves and placing them into a plastic bag he had with him. After moving around the store, he placed other items in his pockets before staff approached him.
The shop owner, named Hamish, described the incident as a "distressing experience" as the would-be thief allegedly became "aggressive" when challenged. The man reportedly attempted to assault staff but was unsuccessful.
Owner shares footage to warn local businesses
Hamish shared the footage in the hopes of warning other local businesses. He told Edinburgh Live: "The incident happened yesterday at the Village Shop Longniddry, opposite the train station. The individual entered the shop, took goods without paying and became aggressive when challenged. He attempted to assault staff, however was unsuccessful because his speed was as slow as his thieving skills and he was thwarted. It was a distressing experience for those involved, so I shared the footage to warn other local businesses and hopefully help identify the person."
Posting online, owners added: "WARNING TO LOCAL BUSINESSES. This individual entered our business and was captured on CCTV taking goods without paying. When confronted, he became violent. Does anyone recognise him? If you know his name, please message us privately. Local businesses, please stay vigilant and make your staff aware."
Police Scotland was approached for comment.
