This is the shocking moment brazen thieves raided a Tesco store of Christmas drink in front of customers.
Four men wearing dark-coloured jackets were caught on camera, believed to be in the Cricklewood Express store in London, pilfering the shelves of booze just days before Christmas.
But they are undeterred despite being filmed and continue to load up their rucksacks, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, and Lidl carrier bags with bottles of wine and spirits.
Two men can be seen crouching on the floor stuffing their bags, while the other two reach over them to grab drinks from the higher shelves.
With their bags full of booze they are then seen scurrying away.
The 24-second clip was posted on X, formerly Twitter, with some questioning where the security and staff members were.
One, who suggested he was a Tesco employee, said: ‘We as staff in Tesco can’t stop or challenge shoplifters so this will be happening on a regular basis just saying.’
MailOnline has contacted Scotland Yard and Tesco for comment.
The store was targeted by a gang just last month raiding the fridges of cool bottles of wine.
One thief was dressed in a high-vis coat, face mask and cap. The other two were dressed in hooded coats but did not cover their faces.
A store alarm can be heard as the group shamelessly clears out the fridge door.
Shocked onlookers stare as the thieves make a beeline for the exit during the morning rush hour.
But, while making their way out, one man steals washing up tablets to add to his haul.
One of the trio can be heard saying: ‘You’re just getting greedy now.’
No members of staff were seen in the clip.
It comes as Britain’s supermarkets were a scene of chaos elsewhere today as last-minute Christmas shoppers flooded the aisles.
Remarkable images showed huge queues for the checkouts as desperate Brits scrambled to get their hands on the last stocks of food, booze and gifts.
Some lines were even snaking outside the stores, while there was gridlock in car parks as frustrated shoppers bemoaned delays.
Shelves were stripped bare as many shoppers’ frantic hunt for essentials including cheese failed to bear fruit.
In Wales, shoppers reporting waiting some 17 minutes just to get into the shops, while others said they faced queues of three-quarters-of-an-hour to be served by staff.
Elsewhere, scenes were described as ‘bedlam’ as a shortage of trolleys meant many had to fill baskets with heavy goods instead.
One shopper said on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Just been in a huge ASDA where it was bedlam. No trolleys, only a load of baskets. Decided to do a much smaller basket shop and still got caught in a baskets only queue of >50 people. The trolley queues were all the way to the back of the shop.’
Another added: ‘You know the travel news on the radio? Here’s the supermarket equivalent. Avoid Asda, Cumbernauld!! Queue for the tills goes down the booze aisle at the back of the shop, right to the bottom and back along to the pizza counter at the opposite end of the store.’
A third described the Asda Aintree store as one of the ‘most horrific’ afternoons after they were caught up in hour-long queues.
They wrote: ‘All the shelves ransacked like we are going into lockdown. Now for a well deserved beer.’
Shoppers also reported long waits in Tesco and Morrisons, while people were pictured queuing in the car park at an M&S.
People in Sainsbury’s were shopping like it was ‘war’, one X user wrote, although staff were said to be handing out Quality Street chocolates for those waiting in the queues.
One person wrote: Well the checkout queues at the big Sainsbury’s are doubling back up the aisles and staff are going up and down handing out quality street and roses chocs to people waiting.’
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
