Just a quick update on what has happened since my last post. To our immense relief, 3 days before she was due to report back to the police station, she recieved a letter from the police advising her that there would be no further action. It was obviously a standard letter, advising that if new evidence came to light then she could still face action etc, but it was clear that as far as the police are concerned, the matter is closed. She informed her employer straight away, but suprisingly, nine days on she has heard nothing from them (we both assumed she would be told to come back to work straight away). We are now wondering if they are planning some kind of disciplinery action against her. I wouldn't have thought they could as she has not been convicted, or even charged, but according to her union rep they could still discipline her. So, unfortunately, we are still back to waiting to hear what the outcome of the whole affair will be.

Hi All Again, thanks for the contributions so far. Following a trip to Citizens advice last Monday, my Girlfriend told her employer (Police force) about the arrest. Unfortunately, this has now resulted in her being suspended from her job on full pay. She had her ID card taken off her, and was escorted from the building. She was given a letter signed by the deputy chief constable informing her that she is not to attend the building or contact any colleagues without prior permission. I was surprised this happened when she hasn't actually been charged, but i guess they have to be seen to be whiter than white. It was made pretty clear by HR that any subsequent conviction, or even caution for theft will almost certainly result in her being dismissed (Good job she didn't accept the caution/fine offered by the police in the shop!). Needless to say, this has greatly upset her. It's also made her realise that the chances of getting a new accounting job with a theft convition are zero. So this really is career threatening. On Friday we went to say a "Public defender" solicitor, as recommended by the CAB. This was very disheartening. After listening to her account, he basically said that we have a major problem. He is certain that the police will press charges, and he said that there was a good chance of her being convicted as the Magistrates were far more like to believe the security guard than her, as the security guard had no reason to do anything other than tell the truth. This really wasn't what we wanted to hear, and we came away very depressed. He also thought it unneccessary to have a solicitor with us when we go back to see the police. Fortunately, i had also booked an appointment with a local solicitor that i found in the phone book. He was a lot more positive. Assuming that it does go to court, he said he was confident that we have a very good case. The fact that she put the item into her bag right in front of the tills demonstrates that she wasn't trying to hide her behaviour from the CCTV. The security guard has claimed in his statement that he saw her remove the tights from their box - when this can't be shown on CCTV (as it didn't happen) it will cast doubt on other elements of his statement. The fact that she didn't visit the changing rooms whilst in the shop also points to her having no desire to conceal the goods. Combined with her £50 purchase, the low value (£3.99) of the tights, her clean record, and the fact that her whole career has been put at risk, the solicitor thinks it would be highly unlikely that she would be convicted. He also said he would advise that we do have a solicitor with us when we attend the police station - and this representation is free of charge. So......we now have to sit & wait for the 24th & hope & pray that the police decide not to go any further. If they do proceed, the solicitor believes it will be 2 - 3 months before it comes to court. Our nerves are shredded now, waiting to go back to the police station in a fortnight - no idea how we would deal with a 3 month wait.

Rebel - i've read it - very interesting. Looks like that is something we will have to face once we know what action the police intend to take.

Hi Firstly, many many thanks to everyone who has responded so far. All very helpful. It's fantastic that such a forum as this exists. After reading your advice, and also speaking to a distant relation who is a police officer, my girlfriend has made appointments with both the CAB, and also a solicitor. The Police officer advised that they didn't think this matter would go to court, but also that she would never advise anyone to face police questions without a solicitor present. So to be on the safe side we will make sure we have one when we go back to the police station in 3 weeks time. We will raise the issue of the CCTV & the letter of complaint with the CAB & solicitor and see what they advise. Sidewinder - her job is a finincial one for, ironically, a neighbouring police force (civilian worker). If she were to end up with a record of any kind it may well spell the end of her career with the police, and i don't know how she would fair applying for financial jobs with a conviction for theft...........So although a shoplifting offence may seem like a small matter, it's something that may end up having a huge impact on our lives, so we are desperate that she is cleared of this.Thanks again for the info so far, would be very grateful to hear any other advice that people may have.

HiI would greatly appreciate any advice that people could give on the following. My girlfriend was shopping in TK Maxx yesterday. She was in the shop for around an hour. She didn't get a basket when she went in, but ended up carrying several things in her hands that she wished to purchase. These included a pair of black tights which were hanging loose on a rail, rather than being in a packet. Although they were security tagged, the price was missing. She intended to query the price when she got to the till. When she got to the till she had the items to purchase in her right hand, and the tights & her own gloves in her left hand. As she needed a free hand to get her purse out she put the contents of her left hand into a bag full of shopping from a previous store. Unfortunately she completely forgot that as well as her own gloves, the tights were there too. After paying for her shopping (£50) she left the shop, only for the alarms to sound. She thought the staff must have forgotten to remove a security tag, so she turned around & re-entered the shop and was approached by a security guard who asked to see her shopping & reciept. It was then as they looked into her bags that she realised about the tights. She offered to pay for them but the guard refused. She was taken to an office where she was asked for her name & address which she gave. She was then asked to sign a form with the words "If you sign this you will be free to leave without the police being involved". She refused to sign it, at which point the security guard became aggressive and said that he had been watching her, and had seen her remove the tights from their packet (not true) and also put other items into her bag (not true). As she didn't sign anything, the police were called. They explained to her that the form the shop wanted her to sign was basically an admission of guilt, which would have resulted in her recieving a bill from the retail recovery scheme (I see from other posts her that she would not have been obliged to pay this anyway). The police then said that as they were involved, she could accept a caution and £80 fine from them, which would be an admission of guilt. As she did not feel that she was guilty of theft she refused to do this. She was then arrested, put in the back of a police van, and taken to the town centre police station. There she was finger printed, a DNA sample was taken from her mouth, she was tested for drugs, and then locked up in a cell for 3 hours. Whlst she was in the cell, the police used her keys to visit our home and carry out a search for stolen goods. Needless to say nothing was found. She has now been released on police bail, and has to return to the police station in 3 weeks time. Does anyone know what is likely to happen when she returns to the police station. Is she likely to be charged? Or is the likelyhood that the matter will be dropped? Will the fact that she doesn't have any previous convictions be relevant?. Will a conviction affect her job? She works for the public sector in a security sensitive position. The value of the tights she is alleged to have stolen is £3.99. Unfortunately i am overseas with work at the moment, so she's at home on her own & very upset about what has happened. Very grateful for any advice. Thanks