Eastwood woman charged after booze, meat and more worth £15,000 stolen from string of supermarkets

The pair were arrested after two women were stopped in a car in Nottingham by officers from Nottinghamshire Police’s city centre Operation Reacher team.

The women – 39-year-old Gemma Beeby, of Comet Drive, Eastwood, and 44-year-old Amanda Cunningham, of Stansfield Street, Lenton – have each been charged with 18 counts of shoplifting.

It follows an investigation into reports of high-value shoplifting in Tesco stores in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire between April 15 and July 3.

The charges mostly relate to the theft of large amounts of alcohol, with clothing, meat products and washing products also stolen – together worth a total of about £15,000.

Cunningham has also been charged with two counts of common assault after staff were reportedly threatened on two of the alleged incidents.

The pair appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court where their case was adjourned to Nottingham Crown Court on August 3. They were remanded in custody.

Sergeant Lou Ellis, of the city centre Reacher team, said: “We know the costly impact shoplifting can have on our local communities and businesses.

“I would like to reassure our local retailers we will continue to proactively target those who commit offences of this nature.

“Victims of abuse, threats and violence carry those experiences with them for life and shoplifters reacting in this way is neither normal nor in any way acceptable.

“We will continue to offer our support to local businesses to protect them from shop theft and assault, working together to prevent and drive down this kind of criminality.”