Officers from the city made five arrests on Thursday 11 July 2024 following investigations into recent reports of shoplifting in the district.

Nina Roach, 36, and William Jordan, 38, both of Whitstable Road, have both since been charged in relation to reports of food stolen from a supermarket in the St Dunstan’s area of the city earlier this month.

Roach was also charged with a shoplifting offence reported in June 2024 and with breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) while Jordan was further charged with theft on two earlier occasions in May and June.

After pleading guilty they were each given a 12 month community order and ordered to pay compensation following a hearing at Margate Magistrates’ Court later that day.

Officers also charged Joanne Jones, 48, with theft following reports that alcohol had been stolen from a premises in the city centre on Tuesday 9 July. Jones, of Hudson Road, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay compensation. She also had a suspended sentence extended to 18 months at a court appearance on Friday 12 July.

Ruth Hillman, of Cornwall Gardens, was also charged with theft after it was reported that cosmetics had been stolen from a chemist’s on King’s Road in Herne Bay in April 2024. The 41-year-old was bailed to appear before Margate Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 25 July.

A fifth person arrested on the same day has been released without charge.

Canterbury district’s Chief Inspector Paul Stoner said: ‘We don’t underestimate the damage that retail crime does to businesses and we take all reports of shoplifting seriously. Business owners should continue to report incidents to us either online or by calling 999 if a crime is in progress.’