Prolific Coventry shop thief Lewis Clamp jailed and banned from city shops

A prolific shop thief from Coventry is behind bars and has been banned from parts of the city for five years.

Lewis Clamp was sentenced earlier this week to 12 months in prison after he was arrested in the city.

Clamp, 46, was also given a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from a number of locations in Coventry.

Clamp was one of the Coventry Local Policing Area's most wanted offenders, with an extensive history of shop thefts.

Clamp was arrested after a detailed investigation helped officers uncover his methods and catch him in the act.

CCTV footage examined by the team showed how Clamp would enter shops at the Airport Retail Park and fill his bag with items before running out.

From there, he would jump on his bike and cycle off into the nearby housing estates before security could catch him.

Now, however, he has been caught and jailed.

Sgt Deb Walker, from the North East neighbourhood team, said: "All our teams in the North East are delighted to have arrested and dealt with Lewis Clamp.

"He has been a persistent source of crime in the North East of the city and has cost businesses thousands of pounds over the course of his offending.

"Thankfully, we were able to use local knowledge to identify where he was going and how he was stealing.

"This allowed us to bring him in and take action against him."

Local intelligence and information is vital for our teams to tackle shop thefts.

By knowing where and when prolific offenders are committing crimes, we can build a clear picture of their whereabouts and movements.

This makes arresting and charging them easier.

We investigate all reports of shop theft we receive and will carry out all possible enquiries to identify and arrest those responsible.

Along with this, our neighbourhood teams carry out uniformed and plain-clothes patrols and operations to keep businesses and shoppers safe.

Report any crime or suspicious activity to us via 101 or Live Chat, and always call 999 in an emergency.