Our once-thriving town is now being ruined by TikTok-obsessed gangs – we tried to stop them but they don't care | The Sun

A TOWN is under siege from TikTok obsessed gangs of shoplifters who are prepared to steal items that are trending on social media.

Stealing from shops has risen sharply over recent years as rising prices force some unscrupulous customers to break the law to get what they want.

The rising crime hits independent traders hard and can put them out of business.

But now business owners in Bolton, Greater Manchester, have claimed some schoolkids were targeting items that were trending on TikTok.

Suleiman Hekimi who owns Diva in the town centre has noticed that items being stolen his shop tended to be trending on TikTok.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News he said: "Whatever has blown up on TikTok are the things that schoolchildren steal.

“The other day, rosemary oil was popular on TikTok and all the schoolchildren were nicking it.

“The oil is £10 each, so if they take 10, that’s £100. Sometimes, when they take a wig, that’s £100 just on its own.

“It’s not just children, it’s women too. There isn’t an age limit. It’s everybody.”

Mohammed Khalid, manager of phone shop Mobile 2K, said he was prepared to lock customers inside if he suspected they were intent on stealing.

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He said: "It’s like Jurassic Park and Jeremy Kyle outside. “You never know when they’re going to come inside.

“It can get a bit crazy. If we get people who we think are going to steal, we just lock them in for five minutes.

“When you know someone is trying to distract you and you’re on your own, you can use it as a fall back.”

“We’re have to use [the lock] once or twice, then they’ve realised it’s locked and there’s nothing they can do,” he adds.

“Or one of us will stand by the door. We don’t know what’s going to happen next."

A shop worker at a chain store in Bolton town centre saidnot be named said she often witnessed shoplifting several time a day.

The woman, who asked not be named, said: “When we come to check our stock, there’s stuff missing all the time. If we leave the aisle [by the door] with no staff members on, they will grab a basket, fill it and do one – they'll even take the basket too.

“When the one laundry pod box has sold, I have to go in the back and replace it.

“The [shoplifters] we see are not your typical shopper. They are usually the ones who sell it for half price on a street corner.

“We can watch them and if we see they’re doing anything we can ask them for the product, but we’re not physically allowed to do anything.”

Sergeant David Keir, from GMP’s Bolton district, recently spoke about the force’s new method to tackle crime in the town.

“Our operation benefits Bolton two-fold: their new neighbourhood officers quickly acquire new skills, while the problems of shoplifting and other crimes which involve taking without consent – theft, robberies and burglaries – are all directly tackled as a result of the work being done,” he said.

“We have worked closely with stores and local partners to ensure the best work possible is being done for Bolton. Recently, one store called us up to give us a direct tip-off, which resulted in a subsequent arrest suspicion of shoplifting.

"Other stores will talk to us about the ways in which things are stolen, including times and who is responsible. This assists with intelligence and helps us paint a picture of offenders and where they are likely to target.

“Ultimately, if we receive a report, we will act on it, and our officers are committed to keeping Bolton’s streets safe while reducing crime.
“If you are a business owner in Bolton, please do get in touch with us. We want to hear from you and what you would like to see us do to help.”

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