A SHOPKEEPER has spoken of his upset after a teenager was allegedly caught on camera taking bottled drinks without paying. 

Barry Dodds, the owner of Greenways newsagents in Winklebury, said he was disappointed when he watched the CCTV, on Monday May 25, which he claimed showed the youngster running into the shop before dashing off.

The 53-year-old shop owner, from Marnel Park, has appealed to the public to help track down the shoplifter who was with a group of teenagers. 

Basingstoke Gazette: A youth was seen nabbing two drinks from the shelfA youth was seen nabbing two drinks from the shelf

Speaking to the Gazette, he said it was an unusual occurrence but he was left angry by the incident. 

He said: "It’s upsetting that the boy just shrugged his shoulders and said your lucky it wasn’t the till.

“It is very unusual to have things stolen from my store. I think they are out of the area.

“We are trying to find a name but won’t give up until we find a name.

Barry continued: “[Those shoplifters] were around three months ago. I am determined to catch them. I am angry about what has happened.

He added: “We need to show them that that cannot get away with these things and will follow up.

“We normally get something once a year. If I was here, it wouldn’t have happened. I would have been on it like a dose of salt but I can’t be here all the time.”

A resident from Brighton Hill, who wishes to stay anonymous, told the Gazette: “One boy ran in and took two drinks and runs out of the shop.

“The shopkeeper confronted the boy outside and asked why he had nicked it.”

A post was shared to social media asking for the public's help to trace the suspected perpetrator. 

The post read: "Does anyone know these teenagers? Wait and see the lad in a light grey top steal drinks from Greenways, he shrugged at my member of staff and told her it was lucky it wasn't the till.

"Please share for me and let's let the parents know what their little treasures are up to during lockdown."

In March alone, there were 183 crimes reported in Winklebury, with 70 violence and sexual assaults offences, according to StreetCheck.

Out of these crimes, there were only five shoplifting offences. The number of shoplifting offences has dropped in comparison to 2018.

The Gazette previously reported that there were 13,590 shoplifting crimes across Hampshire in 2018.

The statistics show that in the 12 months to April, Hampshire Constabulary saw an eight per cent increase to 13,590 recorded incidents.

Consequently, the police force ranked seventh in the country for the level of shoplifting, the Metropolitan Police Service topping the table with more than 46,000 incidents.

The figures were released by online marketplace OnBuy.com and data.police.uk.

Winklebury had one of the lowest shoplifting offence in Basingstoke.