A new shop in Wokingham town centre has been the target of what appears to be organised shoplifting.
A businessman, who declined to be named, told Wokingham Today he saw a group of suspicious individuals leaving The Original Factory Store in Market Place last Friday lunchtime with what appeared to be a large amount of clothing. They got into a van waiting outside which then left at speed, he said.
Wokingham Today is also aware that branded coat hangers from the store have been discarded in a town centre park.
A spokesperson for The Original Factory Store told Wokingham Today: “We are helping the police with their enquiries and are unable to comment further at this stage.”
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: “Officers are aware of recent shoplifting incidents at The Original Factory Store in Market Place, Wokingham.
“The Wokingham town centre neighbourhood policing team is investigating and working to bring those responsible to justice.
“On shoplifting in the town centre generally, the team is working hard to improve reporting, identify offenders, provide crime prevention advice and bring those who offend before the courts. They are also regularly on patrol in the town centre to deter offending.
“The team is also working closely with the business community to tackle the issue, such as with the reintroduction of the Shop Watch scheme in December last year with the implementation of the DISC system.
“This allows for improved information sharing between businesses and reporting direct to the police. Officers are then able to spot trends and identify offenders more quickly. This has led to increased confidence in reporting and, therefore, volumes of reports, which is reflected in the recent crime figures.
“The team has had numerous successes, with three prolific offenders currently on remand for over 30 offences and will continue to work with partners to reduce shoplifting.”
