A brazen County Durham thief that is banned from a string of high street stores has been mocked online by police after he tried to steal £80 worth of laundry products.

Officers from Durham Police were called to Tindale Retail Park in Bishop Auckland on Saturday (June 18) afternoon after the known thief was seen acting suspiciously around the shopping centre.

After arriving on the scene, the man, who is currently banned from stores at Tindale, was stopped and searched, with officers finding “enough laundry products to sink a ship”.

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The items, worth more than £80, had just been reported stolen from one of the stores.

After the incident happened, Durham Police took to social media and made the theft into a joke – by posting a series of puns on their account to illustrate the thief’s behaviour.

Posting on their Facebook page, Durham Police said: “PCSO Mike Atkinson and PCSO Juliet Stanger from Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood Team intercepted a known thief in Bishop Auckland this afternoon after he was seen acting suspiciously in and around Tindale Retail Park.

The Northern Echo: The £80 worth of cleaning products that were stolen from the Bishop Auckland store. Picture: DURHAM POLICEThe £80 worth of cleaning products that were stolen from the Bishop Auckland store. Picture: DURHAM POLICE

“The man is currently banned from stores by the local Shopwatch partnership.

“Together with their colleague PC Connor Gibson, the man was stopped, and a search of his bag revealed enough laundry products to sink a ship.

The Northern Echo: Tindale Retail Park in Bishop Auckland. Picture: NORTHERN ECHOTindale Retail Park in Bishop Auckland. Picture: NORTHERN ECHO

“The items, worth more than £80, had just been reported stolen from one of the stores. They were recovered and the man was reported for theft – we’re hoping he will clean up his act.”

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