The owner of a newsagents in Rochester says his shop has been looted four times in a single week, with brazen shoplifting worse than ever. Krish Hinglajia runs the Premier shop in Delce Road, which has been targeted several times, resulting in the loss of hundreds of pounds.
First incident involved theft of cleaning supplies
The 38-year-old says the first incident happened on July 17 when a man entered the shop and stole approximately £30 worth of household cleaning supplies. CCTV footage shows the thief emptying shelves and stuffing items into his backpack and trouser pockets. The incident took place around 3pm when Krish's dad was manning the till.
Children target sweets and ice cream
The following thefts have involved a group of children, not believed to be local, entering and stealing chocolate, sweets and ice creams before running out of the shop on July 18 around 1.30pm. When confronted, they resorted to racially abusing staff, Krish claims. He said: 'The next day [Sunday, July 19], the same thing happened. It was around 11.30am when the same kids came in and took them again.'
Krish added: 'It's not fair on us – at the moment, it's summer, so ice creams are popular. Our basic principle is to sell them and create a profit. We have lost more than £150 to £200 worth of goods in the last week, particularly on frozen foods, which are really expensive. That has a deep impact on my business because we are a small family-run shop. At the end of the day, if tills are getting low, how are we going to pay our bills?'
Fourth incident and police response
The incident on Saturday, captured on CCTV, has been reported to police. Since then, the owner says his shop was targeted by the children again who took sweet treats in a fourth incident on Tuesday, July 21. This has also been reported.
Krish says it comes after a recent spike in shoplifting incidents, particularly over the last few months. According to police statistics, over the last year between June 2025 and May 2026, there have been 128 crimes relating to this offence reported in the area.
Frustration over lack of help
Speaking on whether he has taken measures to prevent shoplifting, he said: 'There's no point. If you put locks and counters on, they're going to nick those locks as well. We just feel there is nothing we can do.'
Krish has also expressed frustration over what he perceives to be a lack of help from police. Despite reporting the recent incidents twice, he says officers did not attend, and instead he was given a crime reference number and told to put details into an online portal for an investigation to take place. He added: 'I did everything from my side – all the formalities, and the cops are doing nothing. We don't need them to patrol everywhere – we know that takes their time and people – but at least respond to our request.'
'We are just losing faith. Why are we paying council tax that goes towards funding the police if we are not receiving their service? Why should I suffer? Why should I lose?'
Police statement
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Kent Police confirmed it is investigating reports that a group of children has committed multiple thefts at a shop in Delce Road, Rochester between Friday, July 17 and Tuesday, July 21. Inspector Paul Relf said: 'When the business owner reported the incidents, he was requested to submit relevant CCTV footage via an online portal to assist identifying the suspects. Officers have since visited the store, spoken to the victim and enquiries are underway in the local area. We are determined to tackle retail crime in Medway and will pursue all available lines of enquiry to track down offenders and bring them to justice.'
