Forum Topic

Alcohol thefts at Morrisons

Did you see the bold day-time alcohol theft that took place last week at Morrisons? Two men ran out with a basket of litre bottles of whisky which they dropped when pursued, leaving glass and booze all over the pavement. Talking to others it seems that security isn't that great at the store and the bottle tags don't seem to set off the alarms. I'd like to find out if others have seen alcohol thefts there in the last year? How prevalent is the problem? Is it time to make representations to the police and the store?

Maureen Colledge ● 5131d34 Comments

When my purse was stolen there a couple of year's ago, they said they only had CCTV on the booze aisle - and the gormless security guard only looked there too.Mark you, as the response to my anguished cry of "my purse has been stolen" was a laconic "well what do you expect me to do about it?" from the till supervisor. So theft may not be take. That seriously

Sara Nathan ● 5131d

" Two men ran out with a basket of litre bottles of whisky which they dropped when pursued, "No problem for Morrisson's security guards.  They'll probably catch theses two men, drunk, on St Mary's church steps tomorrow.

Fred Bray ● 5131d

My husband once noticed someone pushing a trolley FULL of alcohol through the entrance instead of checking the goods out and paying at the tills.My husband immediately spoke to a security guard who just said, 'It's OK, I know about it' which seemed odd.The other evening we were walking past Morrisons when a young lad (maybe about 10 years old) was running away from the store. A security guard had retrieved a basket of shoppng from the lad but make no effort to follow him.The boy waited for a moment until the security guard went back inside then he calmly walked back the the entrance to retrieve his bicycle!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5130d

And who pays for these thefts......we do.  The prices have shot up this week on basics, not good for us pensioners.

Nicola Howard ● 5130d

I saw a similar incident at Morrisons in March this year.  Whilst standing in the queue, a man walked past me carrying a basket with about 5 bottles of vodka with the security tags at the top.  I checked to see if he was going to pay at the cigarette counter but he simply walked straight out of the store with his goods!  I overheard someone in the queue next to mine saying that he'd done it a few times.  When I mentioned it to the lady at the till she just shrugged.  I got the same response when I mentioned it to two other members of staff near the exit.  The alarms didn't go off and I didn't see a security guard near the entrance.I have concerns about the level and quality of their security.  I don't often see a security guard at the store but a few months ago, I saw one reading the front page of the Irish Times at the newspaper stand.  Great to see him keeping up with the latest events but given that Morrisons is a high theft premises you’d think he’d have better things to do.  Also, I'm curious where the alcohol is sold on afterwards and if the street drinkers on The Mount have access. 

Ann Brennan ● 5129d

Despite being a regular shopper at Morrisons, I've missed out on the alcohol thefts. Perhaps I'm at the wrong checkouts? All large shops have thefts, and usually make a trade off between staff numbers and value of the good involved.I'd vote for the Six Bells as a likely place to buy it (blind prejudice, I've not been in the pub)!

Pete Grist ● 5128d

If the branch staff don't seem to care, why not contact head office through their website?  Or openly on Twitter?

N Roberts ● 5128d

I remember hearing once that in many supermarkets, theft by their own staff is the main problem.

Fred Bray ● 5128d

Have tweeted Morrisons via @CCAssoc1 but no response!

Sara Nathan ● 5127d

Unfortunately something I witness daily and then something which I have to deal with daily as I have to kick people out of the Kings Head trying to sell their stolen booze and meat. And the abuse I receive from them as I kick them out. The security need to catch themselves on

Paddy Doran ● 5122d

There was an incident in Morrisons on Friday afternoon, that looked as though it may have been an attempted bag snatch - there was a very distressed lady in the cafe and a youth being detained by a member of staff at the front door. A call for security to the front door seemed to go unheeded - as usual.I e-mailed via the companies website saying how bad their security seemed to be. The reply I received yesterday was this:-"Good afternoon,Thank you for your email. I do apologise for my delayed response.I would like to assure you that we invest a great deal of time and resources to ensure that our customers are shopping in a pleasant, safe and secure environment. We have CCTV at various points within the store and car park but it is an unfortunate fact that we cannot oversee everything that happens at our stores. Acton receives uniformed guarding which acts as a useful deterrent and it is provided with hours at the higher end of the scale as it is seen as a higher risk for crime than other stores. The hours provided are continually monitored. We also use plain clothes store detectives within this store and regular announcements are played.In regards to the tagging alarms, these should be tested every morning by the Senior Management and if there are any issues with these they should be reported to us for replacements and maintenance.Thank you for taking the time to contact us.Kind regardsNatalieCustomer Service Department"At least I got a response. They seem to understand the need for security, but perhaps they also need to understand that the security guard actually has to be able to do his job! I am not sure he is a great deterrent if the other posters on here have witnessed the theft of alcohol.

Amanda Knights ● 5118d

"Acton receives uniformed guarding ...... and it is provided with hours at the higher end of the scale as it is seen as a higher risk for crime than other stores."Says it all really.

Rosco White ● 5118d

Several months ago, one of the security guards was hit over the head with a bottle of alcohol after trying to apprehend the thief and an ambulance was needed.I have heard that since this incident, the security guards are not allowed to exit the store to apprehend anyone. It has to be done within the store.......something to with insurance purposes......So if you grab a bottle and do a quick runner out of the store, your'e onto a winner !!

Ellie Rose ● 5118d

"  So if you grab a bottle and do a quick runner out of the store, your'e onto a winner !!  "They have the cereal at the back of the store, alcohol near the front.Suggestions anyone?

Fred Bray ● 5118d

Employ a good calibre of security guard - English speaking and quick-witted. And then pay them properly.

Sara Nathan ● 5118d

It would clearly be disproportionate for a security person or anyone else, to risk injury over a bottle of vodka.

Pete Grist ● 5118d

Re  ards are not allowed to exit the store to apprehend anyone.              xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    in that case there is no point in having " guards "  as until someone has gone out of the store without paying, they have committed no offence. Inside they can't be charged  with not paying, even if they have gone beyond the till stage as far as I am aware but not actually exited the store, which in Morrison's case  presumably ends at the top of the escalator to the garage area?. You don't even then have to do a runner, casual walk should ensure success. Just wants a Judge to come along and say it takes courage to do it, and we're well away?

Tony Price ● 5117d

Re  English speaking and quick-witted.            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    oh my  giddy aunt Sarah, you have unwittingly been very racist, suggesting non English speaking  guards are not as good and even slow witted. You'll have to go on a course my dear and be reprogrammed!. Let's hope Trev. Phipps doesn't read it. You are also presupposing the clientelle are English speaking, which could well not be the case?.

Tony Price ● 5117d

Re  risk injury over a bottle of vodka            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    depends Peter if the miscreant is a regular, which apparently most are and known to be as such by the guards

Tony Price ● 5117d

The way to solve this problem is to take away the licence to sell alcohol at this store from Morrisons.No booze, no problem with thieving it!I wonder when their licence comes up for renewal?

Dee Cook ● 5116d

Bit extreme, disproportionate and vanishingly unlikely.And would not stand up to legal challenge.Apart from that, great idea!

Sara Nathan ● 5116d

The security guards should be renamed "Theft Observers".

Sarah Harris ● 5116d

Re  renamed "Theft Observers".          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I must confess I haven't been to Morrisons for some good while and haven't had the opportunity of observing any of this but if it is as bad as made out, it certainly doesn't  enhance the reputation of that store in particular or indeed that of Acton. Would it not be possible to ask the store management to supply details daily of the thefts, type and cost , and shame them in the process of doing something to rectify the situation. I doubt it would be possible to take the licence away from one of Morrisons store alone.

Tony Price ● 5116d

It's not just alcohol thefts that they need security for - as Sara has found to her cost. Bag and purse snatches also happen. Even the joints of meat have security tags on them.I do not know what the store has in the way of CCTV - but it is obviously not a deterrent either. From the e-mail response, the company are well aware that the store has a high level of theft, which gives Acton a bad reputation! Removing their licence would stop the thefts of alcohol from Morrison's and from people buying it there, but it would not stop the drunks as they would just buy it elsewhere - there are plenty of other shops selling alcohol in the area.

Amanda Knights ● 5116d

I hope reading these threads has not put anyone off shopping in Morrisons.  I have always found it a pleasant experience with cheerful and helpful staff.  Fair enough comment on a percieved problem, but don't go overboard.

Nigel Williams ● 5116d

Judging by the debris left by Street drinkers around Morrison's I think it is unfair to say that they 'supply' the street drinkers. The majority of the litter is brands of alcohol that Morrison's do not stock.I have seen drunks stagger out of 24 Hour Food and Wine on High Street at 7am holding big bottles of cheap cider

Peter Preston ● 5115d

Some boroughs in London do not allow shops to stock super strength cheap cider and beer. Some boroughs also do not allow sale of singles cans either. I think Ealing should be thinking about bringing in ideas like this

Peter Preston ● 5115d

Re  some boroughs in London do not allow shops          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      but what effect has it had Peter, the strong stuff can still be  obtained  elsewhere and the imposition of not one can I would have thought not to  be much of a deterrent in practice. Would only apply to a single drinker and one with not much money, so unlikely I would have thought. From what I have seen elsewhere in Ealing, they drink in groups, so could well buy  collectively?.

Tony Price ● 5115d

Why not make drinking alcohol on the street, excluding outside spaces for pubs and restaurants,illegal?I think it is the case in quite a few countries.

Keith Iddon ● 5115d

Re  drinking alcohol on the street        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    I think there already are such restrictions, in certain areas? Deans Park in West Ealing used to be very  bad, groups sat on the grass all day imbibing and annoying other park users. Behaviour and language quite ripe.  Women as well as men. And I think some streets are out of bounds to drinkers.

Tony Price ● 5115d

Acton centre is Town Centre Dispersal Zone, where people can be moved on and have alcohol seized by the police. The area around The Mount is a priority for the local Safer Neighbourhood police teams."Town Centre Dispersal Zone - Over recent months,our team have taken steps to implement a dispersalzone, intended to assist with discouraging drink anddrug related crime and disorder in vicinity of ‘TheMount’. This was agreed by local partners and cameinto effect on 15th July 2012. Our team continue tobe a visible presence across the ward, but have beenconcentrating efforts in the Town Centre, toeffectively deal with issues reported to us by the localcommunity. There have been 60 dispersals sincemid-July, with numerous dispersal breaches resultingin arrests. There are currently three individuals thatare subject to Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and theteam continue to develop evidence in relation toothers."

Pete Grist ● 5115d

Yes, you'll find the street drinkers now sometimes congregate by the vets on Horn Lane.  Dispersal zones don't work unless they cover the whole area and are enforced.I don't go to Morrisons often as, although it's cheap, it's not a nice shope to be in.  I've probably been 4 times in the past 4 months and the last couple of times I've been in, both times there has been someone do a grab and run raid, quite often pushing queuing people out of the way to make a quick getaway. Maybe I'm just unlucky, but assumed it was a very regular occurrance.  I find Asda much more civilised!

Sarah Harris ● 5115d

I use Morrisons all the time and find it a good and friendly place to shop. It doesn't matter how gig a dispersal zone is, it will still shuffle the problem somewhere else. The police can't solve the problem of street drinkers, something else is needed, but what is not clear.

Pete Grist ● 5115d

The street drinking issue is not just the Police's problem. shops with alcohol licenses need to be responsible. the council and magistrates need to stop granting every alcohol license that goes before them and punish people who get caught breaching their license.The Mount is still the epicentre for street drinkers, it has got a lot better over the last 12 months.

Peter Preston ● 5115d