Martin Gaunt and his sons Sam and Josh run Happy Piranha(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

Have-a-go hero shopkeeper takes thieves on himself as police 'rarely' attend

Martin Gaunt, of Happy Piranha gift shop in Cornwall, has warned that shoplifting is rife around Christmas - he has resorted to conducting citizen arrests in a bid to stop thieves

by · The Mirror

A fed-up shopkeeper says he has carried out more than 50 citizen arrests against "aggressive" thieves in the last two years.

Martin Gaunt, who owns the Happy Piranha gift shop in Cornwall, says he has to take matters into his own hands because the police "rarely if ever attend". He described the incidents as "relentless", but stressed the crime gets even worse in winter. "At Christmas, we find shoplifting increases dramatically," he told the BBC.

The businessman says he has no choice but to protect his store, based in Truro, and has developed a process for addressing the thieves over time. Speaking about the spat of incidents, he said: "These people will threaten you, they will raise their fists... There comes a point where you do need to think about your own safety."

Martin has experienced 'aggressive' shoplifters in the past( Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

Have you experienced a similar incident? Contact monica.charsley@reachplc.com

He explained that he initially asks the thief to hand over the stolen items. However, if they refuse, he will "block their exit route" and explain he is entitled to detain them until the police arrive. Martin suggested police are more likely to turn up if a citizen's arrest has taken place.

Martin added: "I understand they're under-financed and under-resourced but we need more positive, collaborative action." Despite members of the public being able to make an arrest on reasonable grounds, the National Police Chiefs Council still encourages people to dial 999.

Shop owners say they are having to deal with the influx of incidents (stock)( Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

According to the Office of National Statistics, shoplifting has risen by 28% since 2023, with 469,788 incidents recorded in the year to June in England and Wales. Justine Hyde, who runs Hyde and Seek lifestyle store in Exeter, has experienced six shoplifting incidents this year. "We are doing our own policing really because the police are absent," she said.

In October, Dame Diana Johnson, the UK's Policing Minister, said thieves operate "without fear of intervention". She previously said: "Too many town centres have been decimated by record levels of shoplifting, and communities have been left shaken by rising levels of knife crime, snatch theft and robbery. This cannot continue.

"This Government will restore neighbourhood policing across the country, put thousands more dedicated officers out on our streets and scrap the £200 shoplifting threshold, bringing an end to the effective impunity for thieves who steal low-value goods."