Getting fined for taking from primark

[Brenny]

I know it was stupid and I should have been paying attention but I was with my friends and was distracted so yesterday I was leaving Primark and had unpaid items on me I had a small shoulder bag on worth like £10 and a tshirt under my arm worth under £10 I was unaware and was about to leave when one of my friends told me but it was too late and we were all taken and had to leave our details call our parent and all that stuff .
However i did have a two piece undpaind for my friends took in my shopping bag which I think they caught on camera.
I tried to explain the situation but the wouldn’t listen and told us to show our receipts and everything we had paid for. They let me go because it wasn’t intentional and I was under age however said I would receive a letter and a fine.

Does anyone know how long these letters take to come?

I’ve heard they send fines a few weeks after when they think you forgot and does this mean I’m band?
I’ve been told stores like this dont actually have the right to fine you only the actual police do,is this true?

Is it worth ignoring or should i pay the fine when it comes as they might have evidence on camera and I’m really scared and don’t want to go to court, I am also under 18

[MIKE770]

they cannot fine anybody - only a court can do that, they through RLP etc send begging letters for which you ignore they eventually go away, they have lost nothing if they have the goods back in good order