Why do thieves keep striking at Boots?

Questions have been raised over the high theft rate at the Boots store in Mercer Row over the last few months.
Boots in Mercer Row, Louth.Boots in Mercer Row, Louth.
Boots in Mercer Row, Louth.

There have been at least half a dozen CCTV appeals following thefts from the Boots store in the last three months - including three thefts in just two days in early November.

The two most recent incidents at the Mercer Row store, which involved the theft of Christmas gift sets and shaving products, were reported last week - and reignited the mystery as to why this particular shop was being so heavily targeted.

Branches of Boots elsewhere in the county appear to have suffered far fewer thefts, and there are reportedly fewer incidents at other stores in Mercer Row.

Some have suggested that security measures - including improved quality of CCTV - could ease the problem.

A Boots UK spokesman told the Leader: “At Boots UK we take any theft extremely seriously, and we have a zero tolerance approach to it in our stores.

“We invest significantly in crime prevention and actively work with the police and local authorities to report these types of offences.

“We are committed to continually improving security measures for the protection of our customers, colleagues and property.”

When questioned as to why the Louth branch of the store has suffering a disproportionately high number of thefts in recent weeks, the spokesman added: “We don’t have an answer to that, and we wouldn’t want to speculate”.

The spokesman added that they were unable to discuss specific security details or plans, but wanted to ‘reassure’ the public that they are acting on the issue.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: “I’m not sure if it’s that Boots are particularly bad or if it’s more that the Louth NPT (Neighbourhood Policing Team) are very proactive in their appeals.

“This time of year does tend to see a rise in the number of shop thefts, as the stores are busier and there are high value products on display.

“Crime prevention is an important part of our work, and liaison with shops to reduce instances of offending is something that our officers do.”

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