Dramatic CCTV footage shows police pouncing on two prolific shoplifters caught in the act in east London.
Donavan Soloman, 37, and Lee Moise wore balaclavas and yellow gloves as they targeted a Co-op store on Homerton High Street, Hackney.
Neighbourhood officers hiding in the storeroom after soaring retail crime saw the incident unfold on CCTV.
They ran into the shop shouting “Don’t move, get down! Show me your hands now” and grappled Soloman and Moise, 38, to the floor.
The pair appear stunned to be handcuffed and arrested having failed to flee with their haul of cigarettes and vapes at 7.42am on December 22 last year.
A third suspect was involved and enquiries to identify him are ongoing, the Metropolitan Police said
At Wood Green Crown Court Soloman, of Avenue Road, Beckenham, was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment having guilty to burglary and criminal damage.
He had four previous convictions for theft.
Moise, of Croyland Road, Edmonton, received 12 months in jail. The court heard he’d been convicted on 10 previous occasions for theft.
Inspector Mohammed Uddin, from the Homerton neighbourhood policing team, said: “Across the Met we’re focused on tackling the most prolific shoplifters as we know the fear they cause retail workers and the negative impact their offending has on communities.
“We’re working with local business owners to understand their concerns and we'll continue our crackdown with operations such as this one as well as our regular patrols.”
Officers in the area have secured prison sentences for six prolific shop thieves over the past seven months and their work continues, police said.
