The officers were on their way to work when they arrested the first man on suspicion of shoplifting from a Sainsbury’s store in Bethnal Green, east London.
The Metropolitan Police’s Tower Hamlets unit said the man was found with 39 boxes of over-the-counter medication, and 13 bars of chocolate, worth a total of £280.
Officers were about to leave the shop with the man when they made a second arrest – of a man allegedly attempting to steal over £50 of meat.
Both men were charged and remanded in custody to appear in court.
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It comes as an exclusive Sky News and Association of Convenience Stores survey revealed that 80% of shopkeepers reported a retail crime within a week in October.
The poll also found 94% of shopkeepers say that in their experience, shoplifting has got worse over the last year, with 83% not confident the police will take action against the perpetrators of retail crime on their premises.
