One-sixth of Britons Admit to Shoplifting
According to a report on the website of The Sunday Times on the 15th, British movie stars, TV hosts, and even well-known chefs have been caught shoplifting. A survey commissioned by The Sunday Times and conducted by polling firm YouGov revealed that nearly one-sixth of Britons have engaged in shoplifting.
When asked if they had ever stolen from a store, 16% of respondents admitted to doing so, while 79% said they hadn't. The remaining 5% either said they didn't know or did not specify.
It is estimated that in 2010, goods stolen from shops in the UK were worth over 4.4 billion pounds. According to statistics, this amount has been increasing over the past 12 months, with desirable items including clothes, fresh meat, and men's shaving products.
News Background: It was reported that 60-year-old British star chef Thompson received a police warning last week for stealing wine and cheese from a supermarket. He later apologized, saying, "I'm not the first and certainly not the last person to do something completely inexplicable." (Translated by reporter Tao Yunxi)
Tunneling 30 meters
UK thieves steal cash at night
A gang of thieves in Manchester, UK, staged a real-life version of 'The Bank Job,' painstakingly digging a tunnel to the bottom of an ATM and stealing cash.
According to police information cited by BBC, this bizarre incident occurred in the early hours of January 2, 2012. The thieves used a 30-meter-long tunnel to reach the bottom of an ATM inside a chain music and video store. They then broke through 38 cm of concrete to steal the cash.
However, the thieves' luck was bad, as it was the New Year holiday and the ATM wasn't fully restocked. The thieves only managed to take 6000 pounds.
Police estimate that it took about six months to dig this tunnel. Clearly, the effort was not worth the reward.
Tunnel Details: The tunnel started near the railway tracks behind the store, passed through a parking lot, and then reached under the store's foundation.
Wires and lighting were laid inside the tunnel, along with pillars supporting the top, with a height of approximately 1.2 meters. (Translated by reporter Yang Zheng)