A brazen shop burglar was caught in the act and quickly brought before the courts thanks to police teamwork.
CCTV cameras caught the moment as 28-year-old Laighton Thompson smashed a glass door panel to gain entry to the Heron Foods store in St Ann’s Well Road, St Ann’s.
Thompson stole two crates of beer before leaving but returned around 10 minutes later, re-entered the store, and stole another two crates of alcohol.
Nottinghamshire Police Special Constables – volunteer officers who have the same power, uniform, training, and responsibilities as regular police officers – quickly liaised with the store manager and reviewed on-site CCTV which provided extremely clear evidential footage of the perpetrator.
They were then able to provide a detailed description to the force control room who passed information to response officers.
A short time later they tracked down, detained, and searched Thompson, who had bottles of alcohol in his possession.
He was subsequently arrested, charged, and remanded in custody in relation to the burglary which happened around 12.40am on Saturday (1 November 2025).
Thompson, of Peveril Street, Radford, pleaded guilty to burglary and appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Monday (3 November 2025).
He was given a six-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Thompson was also made subject of a nine-month alcohol treatment requirement, and ordered to pay £154 compensation.
Response officer PC Oliver Grosvenor, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was fantastic teamwork involving different police teams which resulted in a burglar being caught red-handed.
“The last thing any local business needs is to be targeted by burglars. I’d like to reassure our local retailers that the force treats commercial burglary and theft very seriously and will continue to deal robustly with anyone believed to be involved in such crimes.
“We all know retail crime has a significant impact on businesses, employees, and customers alike, whether its shoplifting, fraud, or more serious violent crime occurring in retail premises.
“These criminal activities cause emotional distress for the victims involved, as well as a financial loss.
“The consequences are far-reaching which is why it’s so crucial that we continue to work together with our partners and local retailers to bring forward solutions that can help protect our businesses and communities and reduce the impact of retail crime.”
