One of my fellow reporters had written a story about the problems of anti-social behaviour in Scunthorpe town centre and I was asked to get some photos one Saturday afternoon in August 2005.

I spent the time with store detectives from the Scunthorpe Traders Anti-Theft Association (STATA) in their CCTV control centre and on patrol in the town centre. It was all very routine as they spoke with local youths, residents and shopkeepers.

However it all livened up around 5pm when they confronted a pair of suspected shoplifters – a man and a woman.

I got a few shots but, before I realised what was going on the woman produced a syringe and threatened the officers before running from the scene.

It was over in a flash but luckily I was unharmed as were the officers. This is the resulting supporting piece I wrote about the incident which was published alongside the page lead.

A SUSPECTED shoplifter brandished what is thought to be a syringe at a Scunthorpe store detective before being able to make a desperate bid for freedom at the weekend.

The woman had been stopped by members of the Scunthorpe Traders Anti-Theft Association (STATA) at about 5pm, on Saturday.

She had been spotted acting suspiciously in a town centre clothing store and it was thought she had placed a pair of trousers into her bag.

Security staff from a neighbouring shop spotted the incident and several other store detectives were alerted via a two-way radio system.

They were in position and ready to swoop when the woman and her partner left the shop, allegedly without paying for the goods.

And while security staff were waiting for police to arrest the pair and investigate the alleged theft, they had managed to make their escape, by running to their car, which was parked nearby. 

The woman had allegedly drawn the syringe, and dropped the protective plastic cap, exposing the needle.

She was being watched by a store detective from Boots, who spotted the needle and said it had contained what he suspected was heroin. He said: “I saw what it was, so I just backed away.”

The woman was described as wearing white shoes, blue jeans, a pink striped top and was carrying a black shoulder bag. She also had long blonde hair.

Her partner was described as a male, with greying hair and tattooed arms. He was wearing a white v-neck T-shirt and blue jeans. They made off in a dark coloured car.

Saturday had otherwise been a quiet day for members of STATA, known by shoplifters as the ‘Scooby-Doo Squad’.

STATA spokesman Scott Adams said the syringe incident was typical of the desperate measures offenders would resort to. He added they would even use their own children as a distraction or blame them for the theft.

He said during July they detained 11 offenders and there had been eight arrests so far this month, for a variety of offences such as theft, anti-social behaviour or criminal damage.

“We’ve got three or four people prepared to take to the streets and engage these people on our own terms,” he said.

He added: “There is an anti-social element on a Saturday, with a large amount of kids getting up to mischief.”

From the Scunthorpe Telegraph on Tuesday, August 9, 2005.