I have made an error, I know it's wrong and I feel really ashamed. I stole at Primark and HMV and the security caught me. It's the first time they do it. First I went to Primark and I took some clothes (36 pounds), I went out the shop without pay it and nothing happened. After that, I went to HMV and I tried to steal a headphones (30 pounds). In this case, the staff saw me by CCTV and they called to security. They discovered I had stolen in HMV and Primark. They asked me if I had any ID but, in that moment, I only had my credit card. I gave it them and they wrote down my name and I don't know if my credit card number too. They ask me where I'm from and I replied them I'm a EU citizen. And also I'm in UK on holidays for 1 month. They gave me a letter to advise me that I'm banned from entering at HMV, not for Primark. However, they told me I couldn't entry in the commercial centre anymore. I speak a little bit of English and I didn't understand well all what they were saying. I paid with my credit card the clothes in Primark, not the headphones at HMV because they didn't let me do it. The security man went with me until the door and the told me: Don't come here anymore. I was really nervous after this and, returning to my flat, I lost my wallet and, therefore, my credit card. To avoid other people use my credit card, I cancelled it via Internet when I arrived at home. My questions are: 1. What's next? 2. Do I have to pay any fine (I have read about RLP - Retail Loss Prevention)? 3. Where do I have to pay the fine? 4. How are they going to contact me? Remember they only have my name and maybe my credit card number. Moreover, my credit card is out of service. 5. Are they going to send me a letter to my home (in my country, not in UK) with the details? 6. About criminal records. Am I going to have any entry due to my thefts? 7. I hope to work in UK in a near future. Will this affect to my job search? 8. Will they demand me? Will I have to go the courts to solve this? I know stealing is wrong and NEVER AGAIN- I've learned my lesson, believe me I feel so ashamed and guilty, I WILL NEVER SHOPLIFT AGAIN. Please don't share your opinion on what I've done. It was a stupid mistake that I regret. Please, help me with the questions, I'm really worried with this situation and I want to solve it as soon as possible.

I was looking through some previous posts and saw this one about shop lifting (about 5 years old) (system won't let me post the link so its something like - thread 31398 shoplifting laws ) I had an incident some time ago when I was 'apprehended' at a Sainbury's store. In a nutshell - I purchased some goods (only 3 items I think), headed to the car park and was stopped. I can't find anything about my rights in the UK (in the USA retailers appear to have to have reasonable grounds for suspicion - i.e. witnessed you putting something in your pocket, not paying, etc). I complained to Sainsbury's (received an apology and £25 voucher) but the only explanation I received was that it 'must have been a faulty security tag' - causing the alarm to sound. Does an alarm going off constitute a valid reason for stopping me? I heard an alarm - but no reason to think it had anything to do with me - I carried on. It appeared to me almost a 'random stop'. If challenged - what can I do? If I refuse what can the retailer do? (in this case I wanted to get away - I was in a hurry to meet my wife from work) Am I obliged to keep a receipt? (Sainbury's printers aren't too quick! If I had 2 or 3 items I wouldn't normally wait for a receipt - unless it was item I may wish to return). I nearly always use a debit card (for the points etc) As I state above the matter is over with now, but in the event I ever get stopped again in similar circumstances I would like to understand exactly where I stand.