Prolific shoplifter jailed for thefts across Bournemouth
52 year old Graham Ridealgh stole more than £1,400 of items
A prolific shoplifter has been jailed for stealing items including food, alcohol, beauty products, sports clothing and children’s toys from stores in Bournemouth.
52 year old Graham Ridealgh, of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to 16 months behind bars by Bournemouth Crown Court.
All the offences were committed between December 2023 and March 2024, with the thefts totalling more than £1,400.
They included regular incidents at Boots in Christchurch Road, One-Stop in Southbourne Grove, Co-Op in Cranleigh Road, and Sports Direct in the Sovereign Centre.
Ridealgh was identified through intelligence, offenger behaviour patterns and CCTV footage.
Chief Inspector Alyssa Forrest, of Dorset Police, said:
“The investigation into Ridealgh’s shoplifting was part of further Op Shopkeeper work, which is an ongoing effort to identify prolific shoplifters and take robust action against them to create a hostile environment for offending.
“During the last seven months, Op Shopkeeper has targeted 20 prolific shoplifters and secured convictions.
“We will continue to operate to prevent further harm to the business community.
“We will continue to work closely with Community Safety partners and the Business Improvement Districts (BID) to identify thieves who repeatedly target retail premises and theft hotspots to help reduce the cost and impact of this offending on our communities.”