TV Review: Secrets Of The Shoplifters
Last night millions of us sat down to watch Channel 4s amusing insight into the lives of some of South Yorkshires most prolific shoplifters on the hugely successful Secrets of the Shoplifters. Set predominantly in Doncaster but with flashes of Sheffield City Centre as well the show focused on the local police forces efforts to crack down on store theft over the busy Christmas period. The easiest way to reduce the number of instances of shop lifting was unsurprisingly to remove the 10 most prolific offenders from the streets giving them nice warm beds in prison cells over the festive period. And so armed with a riot van (why?) and a camera crew two local undercover officers set about ridding the streets of Doncasters unwanted rubbish. One of the most heavily featured thieves was Conisboroughs Bruce Turner a former store detective turned shoplifter who despite claiming to know all the trade secrets so-to-speak was actually one of the worst crooks Ive ever laid eyes on. And as a resident of sunny Doncaster Ive seen more than a couple. Bruce who I have personally had a long standing dislike for spent much of the program toddling around the local shopping centre half inching ridiculous items for no obvious reason. In fact not only did they catch him trying to slip shampoo into his coats breast pocket in Boots but he was also spotted on CCTV nicking a bag of £2.99 tea lights, a crime that resulted in a 12 month suspended sentence. It was obvious to those of us watching, as well as those of us who know the lifters and spend our days trying to catch them that they had no desire to change their ways. Many were on drugs and needed to rob to feed their addictions while others like Bruce clearly just did it out of boredom. How else can you explain his arrest just days after being released from custody? Or why just hours after appearing on national television telling the world that he was a shoplifter he was arrested again outside my place of work for wait for it shoplifting? Secrets of the Shoplifters was if nothing else a nice bit of entertainment especially for us locals but it doesnt actually help the cause any by presenting these idiotic people as loveable rogues. Its all fine and dandy filming shoplifters to entertain us but to what ends does this aid the police in making a difference. All it does is show the world that its not that bad a life being a shoplifter and if youre lucky you might even get on television for it. Secrets of the Shoplifters returns next Tuesday night on Channel 4 at 9pm.