Store puts up 'rogues' gallery'

Shopkeepers hope the 'wall of shame' will deter thieves

A shopkeeper suffering from a crime wave has put pictures of people he blames around the store.

Using stills from his 23 security cameras, Bob Tomlin has put together a collage of images of people banned from his 24-hour Spar store on Weston-Super-Mare's Boulevard.

Mr Tomlin says the 280 individuals have either been prosecuted for shoplifting or have been aggressive or racist towards him and his staff.

But police say people in the pictures could be innocent and might take legal action against Mr Tomlin.

We have a very active town centre team in Weston who pride themselves on working with traders and businesses in the centre

Avon and Somerset Police

Mr Tomlin says shoplifters have accounted for a loss of between £250 and £300 a week to the business he has been running for three years with his partner Dianne Bartholomew.

"We have lost the police presence we used to have.

"There are now very few police patrols in the town centre and the criminal fraternity here have gone mad," he said.

"We've always had a no tolerance attitude to this, but it's about time the public started seeing the faces of people who are committing these offences."

Mr Tomlin hopes to see a drop in thefts from his shop

The eight-foot by two-foot double-sided picture boards are in the shop windows and above the aisles.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said officers had achieved a 78% crime detection rate in the store since 1 April.

He said: "We have a very active town centre team in Weston who pride themselves on working with traders and businesses in the centre."

He said there were potential data protection and human rights issues connected with the picture boards.

"It may well be that the people in the photos are innocent and use their rights to take action against Mr Tomlin civilly," he said.