Watch the moment a serial shoplifter is caught by an off-duty cop while raiding a discount store in Nottingham

An off-duty police officer caught a serial shoplifter who was attempting to raid a discount store.

Liam Clarke, 40, of Netherfield Nottinghamshire, was seen on CCTV taking items off of the shelves and bundling them into his bag in the One Beyond Store at Lady Bay Retail Park in Nottingham on February 12. At the same time, PC Liam Kerruish was shopping in the store while on his day off.

The off-duty cop spotted Clarke acting suspiciously and followed him around the store. CCTV caught the moment that Kerruish pursued Clarke, chasing him around the store and out of the entrance.

Clarke tackled to the ground outside the store, with Kerruish informing him he was an off-duty officer. He detained the shoplifter and stayed with him until his uniformed colleagues arrived to apprehend Clarke.

The shoplifter admitted to 10 counts of theft between January 12 and February 12. During an appearance at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday February 14, Clarke was jailed for ten weeks, suspended for 12months, and was ordered to pay a £401.50 compensation.

Sergeant Stephanie Clough, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Shoplifting can have a huge impact on both businesses and those who work for them and often comes hand-in-hand with other crimes, including criminal damage and violence. We hope this conviction will show Clarke and other shoplifters that our dedicated officers work hard to tackle this type of offending – both on and off duty. As demonstrated by PC Kerruish, police officers may be off-duty but they are always ready to spring into action if and when they need to.”