Greggs uses makeshift BIKE LOCK to deter thieves as bakery icon takes extreme measures after spate of thefts
GREGGS staff are using a bike lock to secure fridge doors to stop items from being stolen.
Thieves looking for a free snack have targeted stores of the beloved bakery chain up and down the country.
One Greggs branch decided to fight back and used a makeshift lock on their fridges.
The staff at Greggs in West Norwood, London, used a red bike lock to prevent anyone from stealing the goods.
The innovative worker then stood by the door to open it for paying customers only.
The lock was fitted onto the fridge door that contained all the drinks the shop had to offer.
A customer spotted it on Monday 5 May.
During the spate of thefts, on April 12, one brazen thief walked into a Greggs store in Upminster, east London.
The man casually snatched items from the fridges, telling workers, “You’re going to chuck it away anyway.”
Their busy Leicester Square store has even gone so far as to hire a bouncer to prevent thefts.
Workers at other branches have been equipped with body cameras following a rise in thefts and threats from customers last year.
Customers applauded the staff member for their quick thinking.
One customer said: “That’s a good move from Greggs” while another added, “no more free drinks at Greggs.”
Another customer said: “Damn right for Greggs. People take the mick and help themselves. Well done.”
Some customers felt that the popular bakery should do more to protect their goods, without the need for staff to intervene, as one said: “They will do everything but not hire proper security that can protect from shoplifters.”
Most customers supported the decision, as one shopper said: “I don’t blame them.”
Shoplifting has been on the rise country-wide, partially due to the increased cost of living.
Statistics reached their highest on record between January 2024-2025 as customer theft rose to 20.4 million, nearly four million more than the previous year.
An investigation showed that thieves frequently targeted Greggs for their baked goods and bottled drinks.
One store in Stockwell suffered a theft an hour as shops across the country were targeted.
Thieves seemed surprisingly unbothered, with one even fistbumping the staff after getting caught before handing back the goods.
With tannoy announcements saying that: “shoplifting will not be tolerated,” perhaps its time for more drastic measures like the ones used in West Norwood.
The thieves aren’t picky as they take everything from doughtnuts, to drinks, to wedges.
Only 350 people in England and Wales have been prosecuted for stealing from Greggs in the past six months. Of those, just 111 – 34 per cent – were given immediate or suspended jail. Most were serial shoplifters with lengthy records.
A source confirmed this is not company policy and was an isolated incident.
Greggs boss Roisin Currie previously told The Sun that they were working with AI facial recognition software to record thefts and pass details to local police forces.
Greggs has been contacted for a comment.
55k thefts every day across UK
BRITAIN is facing a shop-lifting epidemic with a record 55,000 incidents a day.
In 2024, it cost retailers £2.2 billion, up from £1.8 billion in 2023, figures show.
Offences reported by police in England and Wales have jumped 23 per cent to more than 492,000 in the past 12 months, says the Office for National Statistics.
The scourge is being driven by the perception that offenders are rarely caught or punished.
Graham Wynn, of the British Retail Consortium, described shoplifting as a “major trigger for violence and abuse against staff.”
Mr Wynn said: “The rise in organised crime is a significant concern, with gangs hitting stores one after another.
“Sadly, such theft is not a victimless crime; it pushes up the cost for honest shoppers and damages the customer experience.”
Labour has promised to make assaulting a retail worker an offence and treat more seriously thefts of goods worth less than £200.