Man charged for shoplifting offences in Portsmouth

Officers investigating a number of shoplifting offences in Portsmouth have charged a 48-year-old man.

Simon Collins of Ivy Close, Southsea, has been charged with 17 shoplifting offences in relation to the following incidents, which occurred between Saturday 22 August and Wednesday 4 November.

• On Saturday 22 August, around £120 worth of tobacco and chocolate was stolen from the Sainsburys Local store on Albert Road on three separate occasions.
• On Sunday 23 August at 6.55pm, meat and cheese products worth £116.50 were taken from the Co-Op store on Fawcett Road.
• On Thursday 27 August at 3.30pm, four steaks were taken from the Co-Op store on Elm Grove.
• On Thursday 27 August at 7.10pm, £280 worth of meat, fish, cheese and chocolate were taken from the Co-Op store on Copnor Road.
• On Friday 28 August at 3.55pm, £18 worth of chocolate was taken from the Co-Op store on Twyford Avenue.
• On Saturday 5 September at 2.55pm, meat and chocolate worth £200 was taken from the Co-Op store at The Hard.
• On Monday 7 September at 5.20pm, £120 worth of meat was taken from the Co-Op store on Elm Grove.
• On Wednesday 9 September at 7.25pm, around £38 worth of products were taken from the Co-Op store on Elm Grove.
• On Thursday 10 September at 7.30am, meat and cheese products worth £85.60 were taken from the Co-Op Store on Elm Grove.
• On Thursday 10 September at 6.45pm, £110 worth of meat products and Nutella was taken from the Co-Op store on Great Southsea Street.
• On Monday 21 September at 6.40pm, £395 worth of chocolate was taken from the Sainsbury’s Local store on Albert Road.
• On Tuesday 20 October at 5.45pm, a number of household items and biscuits worth approximately £30 were taken from the Co-Op on Northern Parade.
• On Saturday 24 October at 5.25pm, several steaks were taken from the Co-Op store on Elm Grove.
• On Thursday 29 October at 2.35pm, meat, fish and cheese to the value of £120 were taken from the Co-Op store on Elm Grove.
• On Saturday 31 October at 5.30pm, meat products worth around £56 were taken from the Co-Op Store on Francis Avenue.
• On Monday 2 November at 4.15pm, approximately £100 worth of meat and fish was taken from the Co-Op store on Elm Grove.
• On Wednesday 4 November at 5.10pm, £131 worth of meat was stolen from the Co-Op store on Elm Grove.

Collins has been remanded in custody and appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on Friday 27 November.

The investigation was part of Operation Monster, which sees local officers in Portsmouth work with local businesses to tackle aggravated shoplifting and other offences against them.