Supermarket boss using TikTok to shame shoplifters

Danny Khan runs Mr Khan's, where staff have 42 CCTV cameras to deter thieves

A supermarket boss has started posting CCTV of suspected shoplifters on TikTok - after spotting thieves nine times in one week.

Staff at Mr Khan's, in Winson Green, Birmingham, also share the footage on Instagram, garnering hundreds of thousands of views on their accounts.

Danny Khan, who runs the Jamaican food store with his father, said outing suspects on social media was acting as a deterrent.

"More and more people are getting shamed and then coming back and saying sorry and sometimes they pay for items. If they do that we will take the video down," he said.

"The police have never come round, every time we reported it no-one ever comes. They’re busy so we went to social media."

This video of a suspected shoplifter got hundreds of thousands of views

The supermarket, which has been running for 35 years, has 42 CCTV cameras in its new premises and a one-way system.

He added: "We thought 'enough’s enough'. Our new concept is if we catch you stealing we'll put you on social media and we have a good following so, to be honest, it’s doing the job. Less and less stock is going missing.

"Our videos get hundreds of thousands of views and now our customers have a laugh with us about it saying I’m paying for this because I don’t want to end up on social media."

Jamaican Food Store Mr Khan's upped security in the new premises

During the cost of living crisis there has been a 100% increase in the theft of food in the West Midlands, figures show.

West Midlands Police recorded 3,138 stolen food products in 2023, compared with 1,572 in 2022.

Meat and confectionary were the most shoplifted food items, but thefts of baby food, nappies and other essentials like toothbrushes and cleaning products also increased last year.

Most items were not categorised and so the true figure of thefts is much higher.

This shopper was suspected of stealing plantain

Graham Wynn, assistant director of Business Regulation at the British Retail Consortium, said: “These high levels of theft are unsurprising. Retail crime has been getting increasingly worse, with thieves becoming bolder and more aggressive.

"It also costs retailers, and ultimately customers, £953m a year (in the UK) - money that would be better spent on reducing prices for customers.

"We need the police to give retail crime greater prioritisation."

A spokesperson from West Midlands Police said: "We fully understand the impact and frustration of shoplifting on businesses of all sizes. It's a crime which can affect livelihoods.

"We're committed to reducing shop thefts and carry out regular high visibility patrols in retail areas, along with activity to identify and catch offenders."