crackdown

A SERIAL thief has been barred from every Greggs in England and Wales after repeatedly targeting the same bakery in a shameless crime spree.

Patrick Verry, 33, is now forbidden from entering any of the high street baker’s hundreds of branches following a court order brought by the Met Police.

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He was caught in the act last week by officers inside a Greggs shop in Wood Green, North London, after striking the location seven times.

Verry was arrested on the spot and brought before Highbury Magistrates’ Court the following day, where he admitted to six counts of theft from the same Greggs store.

Police described him as one of the capital’s “most prolific shoplifters” — and now he’s banned from every Greggs outlet across the country in a move to protect staff and customers.

The order comes as part of a new Met Police blitz on retail crime amid soaring shoplifting rates nationwide.

Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met’s retail crime lead, said: “The Met is focused on tackling the most prolific shoplifters like Verry.

“They cause fear to retail workers and their offending has a negative impact on communities.”

He continued: “We continue to work with local business owners to investigate reports of shoplifting, understand concerns and use different tactics to crackdown, including targeted operations and regular patrols.”

The ban on Verry comes as The Sun lifts the lid on the true scale of the shoplifting crisis crippling British high streets.

Our undercover investigation found Greggs shops across the country being stripped of stock in broad daylight, with some stores experiencing a theft every 20 minutes.

At one busy location in South London, a thief was seen stuffing doughnuts and drinks into his pockets before barging past staff and walking out unfazed.

In another shocking clip filmed in Tooting, a brave female Greggs manager tried to stop a thief who was carrying several bottles of Coca-Cola.

She shouted: “You’re not having all of that,” as the crook tried to leave.

He coolly replied: “Yeah I’m walking out with them, watch me.”

Customers looked on in silence, too scared to step in. A witness said: “There were two grown men just stood by the tills.

“Everyone was just silent.

“No one said a word. People are just afraid now.”

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The Met later confirmed it was not alerted to the Tooting incident, which happened in August, highlighting just how many shoplifting cases go unreported.

Our reporters saw similar scenes play out in branches from Newcastle to Brighton, with thieves helping themselves to hot food, drinks and sandwiches without even trying to hide it.

In Stockwell, South London, one man was caught on camera filling his coat with products before grabbing two boxes of jam doughnuts worth £3 each and fleeing during the lunchtime rush.

In Worthing, West Sussex, two men repeatedly walked in and out of Greggs helping themselves to hot food from the display cabinets.

On Brighton’s Queen’s Road, one crook walked off with two trays of wedges in front of a stunned staff member. “Average day,” the employee said when asked about it.

Minutes later, another thief ran out with two trays of wedges and a sandwich, while yet another masked man sprinted off carrying food as helpless staff shouted after him.

In Southampton, a man entered just after midday, grabbed four hot food items and said: “Sorry guys, I’m homeless, I need to eat,” before walking straight out the door.

In many cases, Greggs staff are told not to intervene directly with thieves for safety reasons.

One insider told us: “They’ve been told not to chase anyone, not to engage. It’s heartbreaking for the team.”

Astonishingly, just 350 people have been prosecuted for stealing from Greggs in the last six months.

Of those, only 111 received immediate or suspended jail time — and most had long criminal records.

Greggs has started introducing extra security measures in stores hit hardest by crime.

That includes removing self-serve fridges, placing chilled food behind the till, and trialling bouncers in some branches.

One staff member said: “It’s like we’re on the front line. You’re trying to sell sausage rolls but you’re looking over your shoulder constantly.”

Greggs boss Roisin Currie confirmed the company is now using facial recognition technology to catch thieves and pass images to police.

“We’ve now got a system where we can take photos of people committing theft on the shop floor and that then instantly goes to the police,” she told The Sun.

The bakery chain is also investing in body cameras for workers and running trials with a 24-hour shoplifting helpline.

A Greggs spokeswoman said: “Shoplifting is an industry-wide issue and we take it extremely seriously.

The safety of our colleagues and customers remains our absolute priority.”

Politicians have backed The Sun’s investigation.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This is an important and timely investigation from The Sun, exposing just how bad the shoplifting epidemic has become.

“There has to be consequences for this appalling criminality.”

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson added: “Retail workers should never feel unsafe at work. That is why we’re taking robust action to tackle shop theft and protect workers.”

She confirmed new laws are coming under the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which will create a specific offence for assaulting shop staff and scrap the £200 threshold that previously gave low-level shoplifters “effective immunity.”

Meanwhile, the Met has released dramatic new footage showing suspects sprinting from stores clutching bottles, sandwiches and snacks as part of a wider crackdown on repeat retail offenders.

And police chiefs say they’re not stopping with Verry, more bans could be coming for other prolific shoplifters as efforts ramp up to restore order on Britain’s battered high streets.

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In recent months, tens of thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets protesting rising housing and rental costs, which many say have been driven up by holiday rentals on platforms like Airbnb that have proliferated in cities like Madrid and Barcelona and many other popular tourist destinations

Holidaymakers heading to Spain should “act immediately” if they’re concerned they might be impacted by a major Airbnb ban.

This week, authorities in Spain announced a major crackdown on Airbnb, demanding the removal of over 65,000 listings from the platform for flouting regulations. The Consumer Rights Ministry highlighted that a significant number of the 65,935 Airbnb properties ordered to be delisted lacked proper licensing information or failed to clarify if the listing was managed by an individual or a company, with some using incorrect license numbers.

The country is facing a severe housing affordability crisis, prompting authorities to take a stand against short-term rental firms like Airbnb.

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READ MORE: Airbnb told to pull 65,000 holiday listings in Spain tourism crackdown

While many Brits may sympathise with those in Spain feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and high rents generally, they may still worry about whether or not their holidays will go ahead as planned this summer.

Laura Evans-Fisk, head of digital and engagement at travel money firm eurochange, spoke to the Mirror about the likely impact of the ban and what holidaymakers should do.

“This announcement is likely to impact the number of accommodation options in tourist hotspots like Barcelona, Madrid, Mallorca and the Canary Islands. It will likely also mean higher prices will be introduced for remaining short-term rentals, whilst demand is high,” Laura predicted.

“It’s also very likely to impact hotel bookings, potentially raising prices during peak seasons, and it could be much more difficult to get a last-minute room. Travellers will need to book hotel rooms much further in advance, especially during peak summer months.”

Laura’s advice for anyone travelling to Spain in the near future is to act swiftly and check four things.

“If you’re planning a trip to Spain, I’d recommend checking if your accommodation has proper licensing and booking well in advance if you can,” she said.

“If you’re worried your Airbnb booking might be affected, contact your host immediately to confirm if they have been impacted and get their perspective on the situation. It’s also worth checking with Airbnb directly about their refund policy for regulatory cancellations. Typically, they will offer full refunds when bookings are cancelled due to regulatory changes.

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“Start looking for alternative accommodation as soon as possible, especially if travelling during peak season. Hotels or hostels are likely to be your best option. Many coastal areas still have traditional tourist apartments that operate with proper licenses too. If you’re struggling to get a refund and you’ve already paid the full amount, make sure you document all communications and contact your credit card company to discuss getting your money back.

“Make sure you also check your travel insurance to see if it covers accommodation cancellations due to regulatory changes. It’s definitely worth bearing this in mind for future trips too.”

Public discontent over escalating housing and rental prices, exacerbated by the surge in holiday lets offered on platforms such as Airbnb, has led to widespread protests across Spain, including major cities like Madrid and Barcelona.

“Enough already with protecting those who make a business out of the right to housing,” declared Consumer Minister Pablo Bustinduy during a press briefing on Monday.

In response to the government’s order, Airbnb has vowed to challenge the decision, arguing through a spokesperson that the ministry lacks jurisdiction over short-term rentals and accusing it of employing “an indiscriminate methodology” that wrongly targets Airbnb listings not requiring a license.

Barcelona took a bold step last year, unveiling a strategy to phase out all 10,000 apartments registered for short-term rentals by 2028, aiming to preserve residential housing for locals. The ministry revealed that Airbnb had been informed about the noncompliant listings months ago, but the company had challenged the decision in court.

The Government has ordered Airbnb to pull the listing in a bid to reduce the impact of tourism

Spain’s government has ordered Airbnb to block more than 65,000 holiday listings on its platform over rule violations. The Spanish consumer rights ministry said that many of the 65,935 Airbnb listings it had ordered to be withdrawn did not include their licence number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company.

Others listed numbers did not match official records. Spain is grappling with a housing affordability crisis that has spurred government action against short-term rental companies.

In recent months, tens of thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets in protest against rising housing and rental costs, which many say have been driven up by holiday rentals on platforms like Airbnb that have proliferated in cities like Madrid and Barcelona and many other popular tourist destinations.

Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents.

Spain’s government said the first round of rentals affected by the order are located across the country, including in the capital Madrid, in Andalusia and also in Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona.

The move comes as Steve Heapy, chief executive of airline and tour operator Jet2, said there is a “perception” among some people that overseas visitors are not welcome in Spain. Spanish residents in popular destinations have organised a number of demonstrations against tourism in recent years, with banners featuring messages such as “tourists go home”.

The impact of tourism on rental rates is a common theme at the protests. Speaking at an event at the Spanish embassy in London, Mr Heapy said: “We’ve had people ringing the call centre and going into travel agents, asking questions like ‘is Spain safe’, ‘are we still welcome in the resort’.”

He went on: “It is becoming a big issue unfortunately, and perception becomes truth.”

Mr Heapy said “unlicensed tourism” – such as people staying in private accommodation listed on Airbnb – is “causing a huge problem” and “needs to be controlled”. Issues such as uncertainty over visitor numbers, unpaid tourist taxes and properties that “could be death traps” are among the issues, he said.

“Unfortunately there’s been a massive explosion in unlicensed tourism properties.”

He went on: “Airbnb can be controlled. They don’t rule the world. They are an online platform that we can control and put legislation in place.”

Mr Heapy said if he was a politician he would introduce fines of “a quarter of a million euros” for Airbnb hosts found not to have the required licences or tax records. Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office in London, insisted it is “important to distinguish between specific local tensions and the broader national picture”.

He went on: “The vast majority of Spain remains enthusiastic in welcoming tourists. Where protests have occurred – in cities such as Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Santa Cruz – concerns stem from broader societal issues: housing pressures, rising costs of living, and environmental strain in high-density areas.”

He added: “Spain is taking concrete steps to address these issues – through legislation on short-term rentals, tourism taxes in certain regions, and more comprehensive destination management.”

Spain is the most popular overseas destination for people in the UK, with more than 18 million visits last year. Spain’s Secretary of State for Tourism Rosario Sanchez Grau said: “We are proud and grateful that Spain remains the number one holiday destination for UK visitors.

“It is our priority to protect and nurture this relationship for the future.”

Benidorm police carried out a series of raids on the nightlife venues in the area known as the ‘English zone’ in the Spanish resort, which is popular with British holidaymakers

Benidorm police are conducting daily sweeps in the town’s infamous ‘English zone’ in a bid to crack down on drug peddling to Brit holidaymakers.

Cops have unearthed several ingenious hiding spots for contraband, from inside fire extinguishers and sofa covers to electrical boxes and even loo roll holders. They’ve sent a clear message to dealers that no matter where they stash their illegal wares, they’ll be rooted out.

In the latest clampdown, seven individuals were arrested for crimes against public health, with officers confiscating drugs valued at €30,000 (£25,300).

A Benidorm Local Police spokesperson reported that this month alone, six venues in the bustling party hub frequented by British tourists have been probed, leading to four being shuttered as a precaution. The haul included 200 grams of cocaine, 300 tabs of LSD and MDMA pills, 200 portions of marijuana (THC), 20 grams of hash, eight canisters of laughing gas, along with mobiles and €3,000 in cash.

READ MORE: Five weird things including too many pies that you can’t bring on a flight

Stashing narcotics in bizarre places has become a routine “modus operandi” for drug sellers in the area, acknowledged by repeated busts. For instance, just back in March, two culprits were collared for hoarding drugs at a local nightspot, where 85 doses of narcotics were discovered.

MDMA, ecstasy, cocaine, and cannabis were stashed away in fire extinguishers, toilet cisterns, and beneath the cash register.

Police have said that the pair arrested were tasked with minding the drugs at the pubs and raking in cash for them. Officers said they found them with a large sum of money. The police have vowed to keep up the daily raids.

Although most trips to Benidorm take place without any issues, tourists do occasionally face problems.

In April three men were apprehended in Benidorm after a tourist’s bank cards were stolen and used nine times in less than 20 minutes. The tourist was targeted near the town’s infamous Muggers’ Alley, located off Gerona Street next to the local tourist police station. The arrests were made after the victim received notifications on his mobile about the usage of his cards at various bars and restaurants around the town, leading detectives to one of these locations.

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Among those arrested were the alleged pickpocket, a getaway driver, and a third suspect who managed an unnamed bar where the Brit’s stolen cards had been charged.

In light of recent events, police issued a warning to tourists visiting Benidorm. They advised: “Always keep an eye on your personal belongings, especially in crowded areas. Do NOT keep cell phones or wallets in back pockets or easily accessible areas. Be wary of strangers who approach you with vague excuses or exaggerated gestures. In the event of a robbery, do not confront the offender directly and notify the police immediately.”