UK's 'first private cops' to prosecute M&S thief 'who took 20 prosecco bottles'

18 October 2023 , 15:14

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TM Eye, who employ ex-police detectives, are attempting a private prosecution against an M&S shoplifter (stock image) (Image: Philip Coburn)

A security firm described as the 'UK's first private police force' are attempting to prosecute a shoplifting suspect.

The man, who has not been named, is alleged to have stolen 20 prosecco bottles and £500 worth of sirloin steak from the shop - but police were reportedly uninterested in pursuing the case.

TM Eye, a private company whose workforce is primarily made up of ex-police detectives, were called in to take it on instead, and are now reported to be taking the individual to court over five different burglaries.

If convicted, the man could face up to 14 years in prison.

A pair of detectives from the firm are said to have identified the man from the overnight raid on the Marks & Spencer's store by looking at CCTV footage, before making an arrest and securing an alleged confession on their body-worn cameras, The Telegraph reported. David McKelvey, founder and former Detective Chief Inspector in the Metropolitan Police, told the newspaper: "The lesson is that every burglary deserves an investigation because there is always an opportunity to solve the case if you take the time to do the basics.".

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The firm is reported to have successfully prosecuted 280 shoplifters to date through its legal department, and claims on its Facebook page to have managed "successful conviction against 403 offenders in two years" for all types of crimes. According to a report in the Financial Times earlier this year, TM Eye's business activities form part of a "growing wave of private prosecutions in England and Wales", which are backed an ancient constitutional power given to the public to take on this role if authorities do not.

The firm's clients are said to have included Apple, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry and Fortnum & Mason. Demand is said to have risen as enforcement action by police forces against shoplifters falls - but some have also raised concerns over whether private ventures should be allowed to perform the role of prosecutor.

In 2020, residents of Woodford, East London hired TM Eye's sister company My Local Bobby to patrol their area after becoming unhappy with police action on public safety. While crime rates were said to have fallen in the period since they began working on the beat, people living in the area who were not clients were reportedly unable to ask them to follow up on incidents, such as car thefts.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas