Officers in Worksop have continued their action to tackle shoplifting as two offenders were jailed in a matter of days.
Jonathan Downs was already on their radar after previously being caught on CCTV stealing from multiple shops.
As reports came in following his latest theft from Boots, Bridge Street, he was tracked down and arrested in the local area on Monday 29 December.
From 14 December to 29 December, the 41-year-old stole an array of items across five Worksop shops, including Lego, fragrances and laundry detergent.
He was also found in possession of the Class C drug Pregabalin when he was detained.
Downs, of no fixed address, was jailed for eight weeks when he appeared in Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 31 December.
Later in the week (4 January 2026) the Bassetlaw Neighbourhood Team had further success when prolific offender Gary Storey was spotted by officers in the town centre and detained.
Storey captured on CCTV stealing an extension lead
Between 11 December 2025 and 4 January, Storey, of Kilton Crescent, Worksop, was responsible for stealing a mixture of Lego, washing detergent and an extension lead during three shop thefts.
The 44-year-old previously pleaded guilty to four counts of shoplifting, and one count of assault in Worksop town centre back in June 2025.
He was put before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court again on Monday (5 January) and jailed for a total of 18 weeks after activating his suspended sentence.
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Inspector Robert Harrison, of the Bassetlaw neighbourhood policing team, said:
“As evidenced by these results, we are determined to track down and arrest the most prolific offenders in Worksop town centre and give business owners and local shop employees a respite.
“The team has achieved significant success in stopping shoplifters thanks to working with local partners, utilising CCTV evidence and facilitating rehabilitation support when accepted.
“The hard work doesn’t stop there though, and local criminals are warned that we will continue to our hard-hitting action to ensure their offending is put to a stop.
“Downs and Storey have had plenty of opportunities to change their ways, and I hope they use this latest stint in prison to reflect on their behaviour, because if they don’t, we will continue to lock them up.”
