CCTV: Facebook users help to throw light on Ironbridge shop candles theft
This is the moment a man appeared to help himself to candles from a gift shop in Shropshire.
Bosses at the Ironbridge Gift Emporium took to Facebook after a man took the Yankee Candles.
Within 90 minutes of the footage going on Facebook, the shop had been given a name which was then passed to the police.
Adrian Cousins, who has run the shop on The Wharfage for 15 years, said that he went from feeling angry about the theft to having his faith restored by how helpful people could be.
He said: "I'm not a massive fan of Facebook, I think it can cause a lot of problems for people.
"But the majority of the comments we had were on the side of the law. It was quite heart-warming."
Mr Cousins said: "We're a small, family-run business, we tell staff not to tackle shoplifters but the lady who was working that day was quite shaken up."
Mr Cousins said that it was far from the store's first theft – and nowhere near its more serious incidents – but he was grateful to Facebook users for helping with investigations.
The man walked into the shop just before 4.30pm on Monday before taking five Yankee Candles, zipping them into his hooded top and leaving the shop – all of which was recorded on the store's CCTV. Yankee Candles are an American-made range of scented candles.
The stolen products had a combined value of about £100.
Mr Cousins said: "I was very impressed with the police response. The woman who was working at the time called them and they arrived within 10 minutes.
"Lots of people talk about the cutbacks but if they're available they will come."
No arrests have been made but police are investigating.
