Just what are the hoods up to?

Crofton Park Budgens franchisee Jay Patel tries a humorous tack to accompany a note on his zero tolerance policy even towards low-level crimes, all part of a wider initiative in the area.

It’s unfortunate then that just as I was taking the shot a few sui generis hoodrats turned up on their bikes, conveniently dumped on the pavement so that nobody could get past them without having to detour, and the staff believed at least one (one actually hooded, even in this weather, etc) walked out with a bottle of pop.

‘You seen me come in with this’, he pleaded before pedalling away, and surely wouldn’t a buzzer have gone off if he had jibbed it? In the confusion, it seems talking tough on local shop theft is a far cry from carrying it out. My benefit of the discriminatory doubt is not worth much either.