A shoplifter at a Tesco Express store in Birmingham’s West Heath area smashed through a locked door to flee with stolen goods during an early-morning incident on February 23.
Details of the Raid
The theft occurred around 6:45 a.m. at the Tesco Express on Redhill Road in south Birmingham. The suspect filled a basket with food items and headed for the exit, but the automatic door remained locked—a standard security measure during early hours.
Frustrated, the man dropped the basket and repeatedly kicked the door until it shattered. He then crawled through the resulting gap and escaped on foot.
Eyewitness Account
Pete Hunt, present in the store at the time, described the scene: “The man who did it was totally out of it. He had a basket full of food, walked to the door, but it locked as always in the mornings. He dropped the basket and just started to kick the door until it broke and then he crawled through the gap and disappeared.”
Hunt explained why no one intervened: “With knife crime on the up these days, me and this other bloke didn’t want to tackle him as did the staff.”
Store Impact and Police Response
The store closed temporarily following the vandalism, displaying a sign reading: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, this store is currently closed.” It reopened later that day.
West Midlands Police confirmed the investigation into the theft and property damage. A spokesperson stated: “We’re investigating after items were stolen from a store in Redhill Road at around 6.45am on Monday (February 23). The thief caused damage to a door while escaping. We’re carrying out enquiries and anyone with information can contact us via Live Chat on our website, or by calling 101, and quote 20/156658/26.”
