Greggs stores fitted with panic buttons after shoplifters steal “Hundreds of Sausage Rolls”

Some Greggs stores in the North East have began giving staff panic buttons as growing shoplifting has seen thieves steal products from the bakeries, threaten and attack staff.

Staff have reportedly faced abusive and nasty behaviour as the culprits help themselves to goods, with the shop losing around £200 per day from nicked goods. Panic buttons are now worn by Greggs staff at a Middlesbrough store to alert colleagues if a violent thief enters the shop.

It comes as figures reveal shoplifting in the North East is on the rise as criminals pick items to then sell to people who can’t afford it. Washing powder and meat are among the items stolen, with shops reportedly losing thousands of pounds.

Manager Lynne said: “It’s rife, they’ll come in and help themselves to the sandwiches, they’ll take the doughnuts, they’ll take a handful of sausage rolls. It’s absolutely disgusting. They’re abusive and nasty. One of my colleagues was hit and punched by a woman when he tried to confront her.

“And I had to press my panic button the other week when a man came in and swept up all the sandwiches and threw the metal tray on the floor. They don’t just take – they actually choose what they want and then walk past the window sarcastically waving at you.”

Criminals often target the priciest items such as meat and washing powder with the goal of selling on the goods to hard-up people who can’t afford supermarket prices, the Mirror reports. One senior Cleveland Police officer admitted: “Shop owners are beyond sick and tired. They’re losing thousands of pounds and there’s very little they can do to stop it.”

While some do this to steal a living, others may do it to fund a drug addiction, which has often been the case with large scale career shoplifters in the North East.