Thieves travel miles to steal bottles of champagne, gin, rum and toilet paper in shoplifting spree

Thieves stole hundreds of pounds worth of items, including Moet and Tattinger champagne and bottles of Bombay Saphire gin and bacardi.

They also stole beauty products, children’s toys, food and everyday household items including toilet paper.

The crooks visited a Cortonwood Retail Park, Barnsley and supermarket to steal their haul of goods last Friday.

South Yorkshire Police said: “On Friday, four people popped out to do more than just their ‘big shop’. They travelled into South Yorkshire from their homes in Leeds to do the biggest shop they possibly could – without actually paying for any of it.

“They had to come to South Yorkshire as they were too well known, and actually on bail conditions not to go into their favourite stores near their homes.

“Our recidivist tourists found themselves at a large retail park between Barnsley and Rotherham policing districts and filled their foil-lined bags with several hundred pounds worth of gear from a well known health and beauty retailer. They were only seen as they got into their car to drive away.

“The bad news is that in driving away, someone could tell us what car they were in – and we do like to know what cars our criminal community are using.”

The force added: “Not satisfied with their haul so far, and with room to spare in the car, our four thieves made their way to a large supermarket between Barnsley and Sheffield and again helped themselves to a ‘Christmas Eve Big Shop’ amount of alcohol and other items. All of this was thrown in the car and off they pootled back over the county line with the poor car groaning under the weight of their booty.

“Unfortunately for these tea leaves, we were quite happy to pop across the border into West Yorkshire and drag them back into South Yorkshire where they were treated to a microwave meal and a 10-year-old copy of Bella. We were treated to protests of ‘it’s only shoplifting’ and questions about how else were they supposed to make a living.”

The suspects – two women, aged 31 and 37 – and two men, arrested over the shoplifting, have been released under investigation.

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