news round-up
"Scumbag" shoplifter sign sparks freedom of speech row
A "provocative and offensive" sign referring to shoplifters as "scumbags" has caused a major freedom of speech row.
A shop owner has been told by police to remove a sign branding thieves as "scumbags".
Rob Davies, 61, who runs Run Ragged, a shop selling retro vintage items in Wrexham, North Wales, installed a notice warning shoppers he had locked cabinets due to a recent spate of thefts.
He said he had lost around £280 due to shoplifting alone in the last year, during which he had caught five thieves in the act.
The sign read: "Due to scumbags shoplifting, ask for assistance to open cabinets. Thank you."
However, officers told the store owner that his notice was "provocative and potentially offensive".
But Mr Davies has remained defiant that he will not change the message despite being advised by police to reword it.
He insisted that the only people who should be offended are shoplifters.
"Well, guys, if you know me, you will know I don’t mean to cause offence but in this case, please feel free to be offended and stop frequenting my shop", he said.
The frustrated shopkeeper said his note was "straight from the heart and honest".
Mr Davies told TalkTV: "It’s absolutely mad. I spent a couple of days thinking about a note to go on my cabinets".
‘Various people saw it and laughed and joked. But then I had a police officer and PCSO say it was "provocative and potentially offensive".
"When I asked him who it could be offensive to he didn’t have an answer to that".
He added that police had failed to deal with thieves in his shop, including one shoplifter he caught trying to steal a shirt.
"They came in and basically took a basic set of details from him and handed back the shirt", he said.
The shopkeeper, who has run Run Ragged for five years, having previously worked as a weapons expert, including supervising fight scenes in famous films including Gladiator and Braveheart, said he had received a great deal of support from locals, with one neighbouring shopkeeper sending him a sign reading: "If you find anything offensive here please let us know so we can have a good laugh".
North Wales Police said it deals with shoplifters "robustly" and takes all reports of theft seriously.
But the force added that it took a "proactive approach" to signposting as well as to assisting offenders struggling with substance or alcohol misuse.
Wrexham City District Inspector Rhodri Ifans said his team had the best record on detecting shoplifters within the north Wales force over the past two years.
He told Daily Mail: "Protecting staff, businesses, and their customers from this type of criminality, which has created a significant impact on their well-being and business, is a priority in Wrexham city".
