See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JOE ROSSITER, REPORTER Published: 11:14 BST, 4 August 2026 | Updated: 11:52 BST, 4 August 2026
London's brazen shoplifters have been captured on CCTV as the Metropolitan Police said a new system had quadrupled the number of convictions for the crime.The software allows Met officers to receive CCTV footage directly from retailers instead of through an online portal used previously, cutting wait times for evidence from 28 days to mere minutes.Scotland Yard said the technology was being used by shops including Tesco, Boots and M&S.After being caught stealing on camera, 55-year-old Michael Belgrave was sentenced to nine months in prison and a five-year criminal behaviour order after stealing more than £4,000 of goods from shops including Greggs and BP.Following the ruling in June he is now banned from entering any branch of Holland and Barrett, Greggs or BP in England and Wales under the five-year order.When using the new system, the Met said there was a caution, charge or other criminal order in 29.4 per cent of cases, compared to an average of 7.3 per cent before.Also caught on camera was Gary Curran, 56, who was sentenced to one year in prison for 20 shoplifting offences, during which he stole £9,000 worth of goods from shops including Boots and BP.Danny Piper, 35, was convicted of burglaries and shoplifting offences which earned him four years in prison and an unprecedented 50-year criminal behaviour order, banning him from entering Camden and Westminster as well as any Boots, Robert Dyas or Waitrose shops in England and Wales. Gary Curran was caught on CCTV placing items from a Boots shop into an orange plastic bag In all Curran stole products worth £9,000 from shops including Boots and BP - he was sentenced to 12 months in prisonMichael Belgrave was sentenced to nine months in prison and handed a five-year criminal behaviour order after being caught on CCTV during a £4,000 shoplifting spreeThe order is thought to be the longest ever handed down.After being convicted of 37 shoplifting offences, 33-year-old Mustapha Ali was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and handed a five-year criminal behaviour order banning him from Sainsbury's and Tesco shops in Camden and Islington.And in June Paul Smith, 47, was sentenced to 20 months in jail after stealing more than £2,500 of goods and taking part in a burglary where around £1,500 worth of stock was taken from Holland and Barrett.He was also hit with a five-year criminal behaviour order banning him from entering any Holland and Barrett, Sainsbury's, Boots and Tesco shops, and any other retail premises without means to pay.It also bans him from Morden and Wimbledon town centres and Colliers Wood. Mustapha Ali was seen on CCTV stuffing items into a bag at a Sainsbury's shop Ali was convicted of 37 shoplifting offences and sentenced to two years in prison Paul Smith, joined by another person, was captured stuffing items from shelves into a bag at a Holland and Barrett shop Smith was handed a 20-month prison sentence after stealing more than £2,500 worth of goodsChief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met's lead for business crime, said the tool helped the force find shoplifters more quickly and bring more of them to justice.'Tackling retail crime remains a top priority for the Met,' he said.'Reported shoplifting offences across London are down by almost 4%, but we're not taking our foot off the pedal as evidenced by this continued use of new tech.'Shoplifters should be under no illusion – we are increasing our capability to catch you and put you before the courts.'The new technology was piloted across five London boroughs and introduced in a further eight on Tuesday.Julie Murphy, vice president for Boots's London and travel division, said the company was committed to partnering with the force to tackle retail crime.She said: 'The results published by the Met today show that we are making progress in bearing down on shop theft, and Boots is pleased to be supporting the roll-out of direct-to-police reporting via the platform to a further eight London boroughs.'
