Nottinghamshire Police make two arrests after thieves tried to steal phone in Coddington by hiding it inside lunch

An attempt to steal a phone by hiding it in a packed lunch was foiled by an alert security guard. Officers attended a warehouse in Coddington following a failed attempt to steal stock. Two people had been scanned with a metal detector as they tried to leave the premises, with a lunch box setting off the device.

The police made an arrest.

The security guard then carried out a search and found a brand-new iPhone hidden inside one of the suspect’s lunches.

At that point, one of the suspects tried to run away but didn’t get far before they were stopped and detained by the guard.

Police were called following the discovery, which happened around 2.35am on Friday, December 29. A 37-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were both subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft.

The police made an arrest

Inspector David Platt, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Whether it’s straight off the shop floor or from a store warehouse, shoplifting is never acceptable and can be hugely damaging. “To use this incident as an example, had it not been for the alertness shown by the guard on shift, thieves would have been able to make off with a very expensive item.

“Shoplifting offences can have a significant impact on businesses and the local community too, which is precisely why Nottinghamshire Police take all reports of this nature extremely seriously.

“As an example, we attended the scene within minutes of receiving reports of this incident and arrested two people on suspicion of theft.”