A chronic shoplifter has been jailed after stealing taps, worth a combined £16,000, from multiple B&Q stores.
Daniel Cleveland, 33, from Lamerock Road, Bromley, was sentenced to three years in prison last month after he pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft and three counts of attempted theft at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, 19 August.
Following the Met Police investigation, it has been estimated that £16,000 worth of items, mostly taps, were stolen from different B&Qs around London, including twice from the Greenwich store, in a 13-month period between February 2024 and March 2025.
CCTV footage at B&Q Larkfield in Kent showed another man working with Cleveland, throwing the stolen items over the store’s garden centre fence, and then collecting them from the other side.
Chief Inspector Rav Pathania said: “We work with businesses to target the most prolific offenders, as we know the fear they cause retail workers and the negative impact their offending has on communities.
“Neighbourhood crime is down 15.5% this year, and we have solved 92% more shoplifting so far this year.”
Simon Moss, B&Q security and commercial stockloss manager, said: “This case highlights the power of collaboration and intelligence sharing between retailers and the police.
“It sends a clear message to those who target B&Q and other retailers that we will take every appropriate action to identify offenders and fully support law enforcement in bringing them to justice.
“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. B&Q is firmly committed to protecting and supporting our colleagues from the impacts of shoplifting and to the safety and security of our customers.”
The crimes took place in Greenwich, Kent, Hampshire, Essex and Buckinghamshire, and the whereabouts of the stolen goods remains unknown.
Police are still attempting to find the other man.
Featured image of B&Q in Greenwich courtesy of Google Maps
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