Fish thief who targeted Chelmsley Wood store is jailed

A SLIPPERY customer who stole hundreds of pounds of tinned fish has been jailed for three months.

“Prolific shoplifter” Terry Field admitted helping himself to a huge haul of salmon, tuna and corned beef, worth a hefty £250, from a Chelmsley Wood store.

The Kingshurst & Fordbridge neighbourhood team were called in to investigate the theft at the unnamed shop and were able to reel in the culprit after recognising Field’s face on CCTV.

The footage showed the 32-year-old, from Kitts Green, pilfering the goods on three separate occasions. On Monday (May 12), Birmingham Magistrates handed the defendant a custodial sentence.

PC Yonas Habtu said: “We suspect that Field was looking to sell these items on at a fraction of their price to fund his heroin habit.

“By arresting him we have not only been able to prevent further crime but also given him the opportunity to seek support for his addiction whilst in prison.

“There are some people who see theft of this type as a ‘victimless crime’. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The loss of hundreds of pounds of stock was understandably causing great concern to the store manager.”