Shoplifted in Boots and got caught. Paid for the goods and no police were called.

[Rjhwxy1234]

I shoplifted from Boots and got caught on the way out. The security guard brought me to a room at the back and threatened to call the police and that I will stay there for 2 days so I should start making calls to my family and work to let them know. They said I would go to prison and I would be fired and the rest of my career is over. They found out the value of the goods I stole came to £88. In the end, they decided they weren't going to call the police. They banned me from the store for 5 years and from the wider shopping centre for 2 years. They took down my ID - driving licence details and a photo of me. I paid for the goods on the way out and was escorted out.

I'm so ashamed of this. My question is will they do some facial recognition checks in the background on the cctv without me knowing for times in the past I have done this in the shopping centre. I've done this in the past and some times, the value was alot, but I was not caught. I was caught this time and its really hit me. I wont do it ever again. Will they send any letters to me in the post to my home address. I dont want my family to know. I shoplifted in the past in the centre so Im scared they will find out if they really search deep and I wont know about it. Please help

[des8]

Rest assured they will not be doing any trawling of CCTV for past events.
It is very time consuming (and so costly) and the chances of being able to prove anything very slight.

What you are likely to get is a string of letters from an "un"civil recovery firm known as Retail Loss Prevention.
They will be writing requesting you pay an inordinate sum of money for some imagined losses which have no basis in fact
Just ignore them and eventually they go away, in spite of their veiled threats

The security guard was out of order with his threats as well, and needs re educating1

[DE DOGS]

First, they cannot detain you for two days, as for the Police unless you have been caught doing this previously they have no interest in you, they will try any frighten you so, you don't attempt to come back and do it again, as no doubt you realise it doesn't pay, and so put it behind you.

[DE DOGS]

Rest assured they will not be doing any trawling of CCTV for past events.
It is very time consuming (and so costly) and the chances of being able to prove anything very slight.

What you are likely to get is a string of letters from an "un"civil recovery firm known as Retail Loss Prevention.
They will be writing requesting you pay an inordinate sum of money for some imagined losses which have no basis in fact
Just ignore them and eventually they go away, in spite of their veiled threats

The security guard was out of order with his threats as well, and needs re educating1

Des to many are too thick to need training.

[Rjhwxy1234]

Thanks so much, even if they post to my home will this say on the letter front it’s from Retail Loss Prevention. I would hope these would just be posted on a blank envelop with Confidential on the front?

[Rjhwxy1234]

My partner and I shop at that centre quite a lot. He won’t know I’m banned but I don’t plan to do this again. I’m banned for two years but do you think I can still go and buy things. I’m not intending to steal I just know it will be inevitable if e.g one day I meet a friend there for food or a coffee. I don’t want to offend anyone again

[atticus]

Maybe for a few months you should avoid the place. Other shopping centres, coffee shops etc are available.

After a while, security staff may not recognise you. It is possible that they will not have seen a reminder of your face.

[Rjhwxy1234]

Thank you so much for your reply. If the security guard who escorted me didn’t upload a photo to the rest of the shopping centre security, and I don’t visit the Boots store specifically, what can happen if I revisit the premises that I’ve been banned from. If I intend to pay that is. If you’re saying they won’t search for me on cctv, then I should be ok as long as I don’t shop lift again. Is the worse that can happen I will get escorted out embarassingly by security again, or will this time they call the police, or will I get a proper mark on my profile ?

[Scot22]

You have received excellent advice for free, including at least one qualified solicitor.
Surely the place is not that wonderful you can't keep away. If you are serious keep away for a while. Not hard.

[des8]

Yep, keep away, at least for a while.

If you return whilst banned you are a trespasser and can be asked to leave.
If you don't they can use sufficient force to eject you

If you return whilst banned and are caught stealing you could be charged with burglary, a more serious charge than theft