A police boss was branded 'out of touch' for telling shopkeepers to report thieves – because officers often fail to show up.
Jon Cummins, the Assistant Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, advised store owners to dial 999 rather than tackle the offenders themselves.
But officers regularly do not attend the scene and instead tell victims to file a report online. These are usually ignored, leaving shopkeepers defenceless to crime.
Mr Cummins told the BBC: 'If they see someone shoplifting, my advice to them is they must call us. If they see it, they should immediately call us on 999 and not intervene.'
His comments clashed with those of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, who said that there is no real purpose behind arresting shoplifters as the courts just set them free.
