18.3 C
London
Sunday, August 10, 2025

Shopkeeper instructed by police to take down signal calling shoplifters ‘scumbags’

NewsShopkeeper instructed by police to take down signal calling shoplifters ‘scumbags’
Rob Davies, owner of Run Ragged, holding the notice
Wrexham shopkeeper Rob Davies stated his discover labelling shoplifters ‘scumbags’ was ‘sincere and straight from the guts’ (Image: Newsquest)

A store proprietor has been instructed by police to take away an indication branding thieves as ‘scumbags’.

Rob Davies, 61, who runs Run Ragged, a store promoting retro classic gadgets in Wrexham, North Wales, put in a discover warning customers he had lockedcabinets because of a latest spate of thefts.

He stated he had misplaced round £280 because of shoplifting alone within the final 12 months, throughout which he had caught 5 thieves within the act.

The signal learn: ‘Resulting from scumbags shoplifting, ask for help to open cupboards. Thanks.’

Nonetheless officers took a distinct view, telling the shop proprietor that his discover was ‘provocative and doubtlessly offensive’.

Join the entire newest tales

Begin your day knowledgeable with Metro's Information Updates publication or get Breaking Information alerts the second it occurs.

However Mr Davies has remained defiant he won’t change the message regardless of being suggested by police to reword it.

A store owner put up a sign describing shoplifters as ?scumbags? - and had a warning from police about it being offensive. Crime-hit shopkeeper Rob Davies put up notices across the shop to inform customers that some cabinets were locked due to shoplifters. His home-made notice states: "Due to scumbags shoplifting, please ask for assistance to open cabinets". But to his surprise, officers turned up to the retro shop called Run Ragged in Wrexham, North Wales, due to a complaint made about his shop signs Mr Davies said: "It apparently caused offence to someone. The only people it should be causing offence to are the shoplifters. "One person whinges about a sign, and the police turn up and ask if I can take the signs down. "I have a legitimate reason to complain to the police due to thieving, they don't turn up." He said that the shop is subjected to theft and has given up reporting it to the police - and instead has taken his own steps to protect his stock. Rob, 61,said police had turned up about his signs that could be seen "as provocative and offensive". Mr Davies said he had been "advised me to re word them?- but said a rewording would "not happen". He said: "You couldn't make it up. When I asked who it could offend I was told a member of the public had reported the sign to them,I just wonder if that person was a shoplifter who was offended as it was detrimental to their work? ?Well guys if you know me you will know I don?t mean to cause offence but in this case please feel free to be offended and stop frequenting my shop you are no loss? Mr Davies has spent the last five years running the quirky shop that sells vintage clothing and accessories. "This is my livelihood," he said. "When people are stealing your safety net, what are you supposed to do? "In the last year I've caught five shoplifters, reported all of them. "The police came out to the first one, handed me back the shirt the guy had stolen and told him to get on his way." Mr Davies said he's lost about ?200 worth of stock to shoplifting, adding: "Every penny counts for me." "But it seems like the big names like Tesco and the Co-op are the ones prolific shoplifters are being banned from," he said. "It's compounded with the cost of living, the business rates and everything else. Domestic electricity bills are a totally different price to commercial - commercial is nearly double. "When you're not getting back up by the authorities you're paying for, it's really difficult." Mr Davies said he received a lot of great support about the matter. One fellow shopkeeper gave him another sign reading: "If you find anything offensive here please let us know so we can have a good laugh." He added: "It means a lot, and restored my faith that there is that sense of community." North Wales Police has been approached to comment. WALES NEWS SERVICE
Mr Davies’ signal on the window of his Run Ragged retailer instructed prospects to ask for help with locked cupboards because of ‘scumbags shoplifting’ (Image: Wales Information Service)

He insisted that the one individuals who must be offended by his warning areshoplifters.

‘Properly, guys, if me, you’ll know I don’t imply to trigger offence however on this case, please be happy to be offended and cease frequenting my store’, he stated.

The annoyed shopkeeper stated his notice was ‘straight from the guts and sincere’.

Mr Davies instructed TalkTV: ‘It’s completely mad. I spent a few days enthusiastic about a notice to go on my cupboards.

‘Numerous individuals noticed it and laughed and joked. However then I had a police officer and PCSO ‘provocative and doubtlessly offensive’

‘After I requested him who it may very well be offensive to he didn’t have a solution to that.’

He added that police had didn’t cope with thieves in his store, together with one shoplifter he caught making an attempt to steal a shirt.

‘They got here in and principally took a fundamental set of particulars from him and handed again the shirt’, he stated.

A store owner put up a sign describing shoplifters as ?scumbags? - and had a warning from police about it being offensive. Crime-hit shopkeeper Rob Davies put up notices across the shop to inform customers that some cabinets were locked due to shoplifters. His home-made notice states: "Due to scumbags shoplifting, please ask for assistance to open cabinets". But to his surprise, officers turned up to the retro shop called Run Ragged in Wrexham, North Wales, due to a complaint made about his shop signs Mr Davies said: "It apparently caused offence to someone. The only people it should be causing offence to are the shoplifters. "One person whinges about a sign, and the police turn up and ask if I can take the signs down. "I have a legitimate reason to complain to the police due to thieving, they don't turn up." He said that the shop is subjected to theft and has given up reporting it to the police - and instead has taken his own steps to protect his stock. Rob, 61,said police had turned up about his signs that could be seen "as provocative and offensive". Mr Davies said he had been "advised me to re word them?- but said a rewording would "not happen". He said: "You couldn't make it up. When I asked who it could offend I was told a member of the public had reported the sign to them,I just wonder if that person was a shoplifter who was offended as it was detrimental to their work? ?Well guys if you know me you will know I don?t mean to cause offence but in this case please feel free to be offended and stop frequenting my shop you are no loss? Mr Davies has spent the last five years running the quirky shop that sells vintage clothing and accessories. "This is my livelihood," he said. "When people are stealing your safety net, what are you supposed to do? "In the last year I've caught five shoplifters, reported all of them. "The police came out to the first one, handed me back the shirt the guy had stolen and told him to get on his way." Mr Davies said he's lost about ?200 worth of stock to shoplifting, adding: "Every penny counts for me." "But it seems like the big names like Tesco and the Co-op are the ones prolific shoplifters are being banned from," he said. "It's compounded with the cost of living, the business rates and everything else. Domestic electricity bills are a totally different price to commercial - commercial is nearly double. "When you're not getting back up by the authorities you're paying for, it's really difficult." Mr Davies said he received a lot of great support about the matter. One fellow shopkeeper gave him another sign reading: "If you find anything offensive here please let us know so we can have a good laugh." He added: "It means a lot, and restored my faith that there is that sense of community." North Wales Police has been approached to comment. WALES NEWS SERVICE
Mr Davies has run Run Ragged, which sells retro classic presents, for 5 years (Image: Wales Information Service)

The shopkeeper, who has run Run Ragged for 5 years, having beforehand labored as a weapons knowledgeable, together with supervising struggle scenes in well-known movies together with Gladiator and Braveheart.

He stated he had obtained a substantial amount of assist from locals, with one neighbouring shopkeeper sending him an indication studying: ‘When you discover something offensive right here please tell us so we are able to have a superb snigger’.

North Wales Police stated it offers with shoplifters ‘robustly’ and takes all studies of theft critically.

However the drive added that it took a ‘proactive strategy’ to signposting in addition to to helping offenders fighting substance or alcohol misuse.

Wrexham Metropolis District Inspector Rhodri Ifans stated his workforce had the perfect file on detecting shoplifters throughout the north Wales drive over the previous two years.

He instructed Each day Mail: ‘Defending workers, companies and their prospects from such a criminality, which has created a major impression on their wellbeing and enterprise, is a precedence in Wrexham metropolis.’

Get in contact with our information workforce by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For extra tales like this, check our news page.

Remark now Feedback

Check out our other content

Most Popular Articles

Explore

Info

  • Advertising: digestmediaholding@gmail.com

Follow us

2002-2025 © All Rights Reserved, The News UK