Two prolific shoplifters were locked up after Newark officers spotted them in town centre on two days.
Patrolling police were in the right place at the right time to arrest Stephen Peacock and Wayne Cook last week.
Neighbourhood officers saw the duo on Friday and Saturday respectively while out on foot in Newark town centre.
Both were on the Newark team’s radar already, after being identified from CCTV footage as stealing from multiple stores.
Their faces were at the forefront of officers’ minds then when they were out on the streets conducting patrols at the end of last week.
Peacock was responsible for stealing a mixture of meat products and clothes during four shop thefts in Newark, between 28 May and 30 June.
After being recognised by police while he was walking through the town centre on Friday (4 July), the prolific thief was stopped and placed in handcuffs.
Fast-forward 24 hours and another member of the neighbourhood team was on patrol when he spotted someone who looked like Wayne Cook, so went to investigate.
The 55-year-old was wanted for his part in four separate shop thefts throughout June, with Cook assaulting a staff member who confronted him during one of these incidents too.
He would go on to get physical again when confronted by the officer who recognised him on Saturday (5 July) – resisting arrest before he was eventually detained.
Both Cook, of Bellmond Close, Newark, and Peacock, 65, were charged for their respective crimes before the week was out.
Peacock, of Bakewell Close, Balderton, admitted to five counts of shop theft and was jailed for 16 weeks, at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (5 July).
Cook, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to four counts of shop theft, an assault, and resisting a constable in execution of duty, during a separate hearing on Monday (7 July).
He was also sentenced to 16 weeks in prison.
Sergeant Rishi Thobhani, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“These two results provided a perfect example of exactly why we conduct the regular patrols we do around our communities.
“Tackling retail crime is a neighbourhood policing priority in Newark, so we are always on the lookout for anyone we’ve flagged as potentially being involved in these offences.
“Before we send our officers out on patrol, we make sure all of them are fully kept up to speed about who the leading suspects are and what they look like.
“This approach has led to some great results recently, including the end of last week, when we were able to spot Wayne Cook and Stephen Peacock and place them both under arrest.
“Shoplifting is both unfair on the stores targeted and all the honest customers, who follow the rules and spend their hard-earned money on their shopping.
“Cook and Peacock clearly didn’t think these rules applied to them, but they were wrong, so we’re pleased to see them both receive custodial sentences.”
• Shoplifter steals meat products hours after being sentenced in court
