September 23, 2019 3.34 pm This story is over 54 months old

Brave pair try to stop Lincoln shop thief

The shopkeeper said the theft has shaken him up

Two men stepped up and attempted to stop a brazen shop thief who “demanded lighter fuel and a bottle of Sambuca”.

Carholme Food and Wine caught the incident on camera and claimed that the man also stole Sambuca and lighter fuel from the shop the day before on September 19.

The shopkeeper said the theft has shaken him up and that he is “becoming sick with stress”.

CCTV video footage showed a man walking into the shop on September 20 before going up to the counter and making demands.

One bystander in the shop makes a call, reportedly to the police, before another male steps up to speak to him.

Shopkeeper Vaikunthan Kumarasamy told The Lincolnite the young man, believed to be a university student, told the thief that he should leave.

At first, the student manages to talk the thief into leaving, but he’s seen to return and steal a couple of cans of beer.

Vaikunthan Kumarasamy said: “This man came up to the counter and demanded lighter fuel. I said that he was banned but he did not care

“He is a big man, so I find it very hard to stop him from stealing. He does not want to fight though, he just wants to steal from me.

“I called the police but was on hold for 25 minutes. I got through to them eventually but nobody has visited the shop for the CCTV footage yet.”

He told reporters that shoplifting is a reoccurring issue from him, and he is worried for the safety of his family.

“I am becoming sick because of the stress this is causing. I have my wife and my daughter in the shop sometimes”, he said.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson said the force is aware of the two thefts at the Carholme shop, and that officers are treating them both as linked.

No arrests have been made at the time of writing.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the non-emergency 101 number.