Male charged with stealing goods worth £250 in Cirencester

The alleged thief was arrested and taken to custody on the afternoon of Saturday, September 19 after two thefts were reported.

Police officers allegedly identified the male suspect through CCTV enquiries.

The suspect has been charged with two theft offences from businesses in Cirencester town centre involving goods valued at £250. 

He has been bailed to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates Court in November and has been given bail conditions not to enter a store. 

According to the Cotswolds neighbourhood policing team, officers from the Cirencester neighbourhood policing team located the alleged thief, arrested them and took them to the Cotswolds neighbourhood policing team’s custody suite.

This happened at the very start of the Cotswolds neighbourhood policing team’s shift on Saturday afternoon.

Commenting on the charges, a spokesperson for the Cotswolds neighbourhood policing team said around 5.45pm on Saturday: “This brings the total number of charges for shoplifting offences in the town centre that we have managed to obtain over the last 24 hours to 11 - split between three alleged offenders.

“We are committed to tackling the rise of retail crime in Cirencester and hope the regular updates we are providing show we are making a difference and providing shopworkers and businesses reassurance that we are helping them tackle losses they are experiencing.

“Thanks again have to be shared with shopworkers in the area and the Cirencester Safe scheme as always, who have been instrumental in supporting these successes.”

In the wider Cotswolds Community Safety Partnership area, shoplifting offences went up by more than 60 per cent between March 2025 and March 2026, from 224 crimes for the year ending March last year to 366 crimes for the year ending March this year.

The Standard spoke to several shopworkers in Cirencester on Monday, September 14 who revealed they had been targeted by thieves.

Work had been done to try to reduce thefts, and communication between different businesses to highlight shoplifting was mentioned.

However, the need for police on the ground to deter thieves was also discussed.

Cirencester Safe, a not-for-profit Business Crime Reduction Partnership, allows members to communicate with the police, other members and police CCTV via a Radio Management System.

All members have access to a free radio handset supplied by Cirencester Safe, with the radio system being the only system with direct contact with Cirencester, Stroud, Gloucester and Tewkesbury police or CCTV.

A password-protected website offers intelligence and up-to-date images of offenders.

Members can also give yellow cards to offenders involved in crime, disorder or antisocial behaviour in or near their premises, with two yellow cards leading to exclusion from all members’ premises in most cases.

Cirencester Town Council previously said ‘some excellent results’ had occurred via the scheme and was encouraging retailers to join.

The council pays a yearly subscription to the initiative from its Community Services budget, providing a Storenet radio directly linked to the local police station.

This connects with other shops in Cirencester which are part of the scheme.

“This is an important tool in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour and sends out a clear message to the community that we are doing all we can to keep our town centre safe,” a council spokesperson said.

Inspector Philippa Moore from the Cirencester neighbourhood policing team previously said: “A lot of positive action has taken place across the Cotswolds over recent months to target those who shoplift. 

“This has included plain-clothed patrols and proactive operations at known shoplifting hotspots.

“Other positive action has included working with partner agencies to relaunch the Cirencester Safe scheme.

“This is an important tool in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour which allows members to efficiently communicate with each other and share information about offending that is taking place.

“My team are continuing to arrest prolific offenders and secure criminal behaviour orders which prevent shoplifters from entering businesses across the town.

“I’m pleased to say we’ve received positive feedback about our engagement with those in the retail sector improving confidence in policing.”