WATCH: Brazen masked thieves ransack Tesco as TERRIFIED workers plead for mercy in shocking footage

A pair of masked and hooded thieves were recently filmed boldly stealing from a Tesco store in Reading, Berkshire.

In the disturbing footage, the two thieves are shown reaching behind the till grabbing tobacco products.

Bottles of alcohol can also be seen being snatched from the shelves and thrown into their bags.

The employees on duty can be heard pleading with them to ‘please stop,’ but their requests go ignored as the masked individuals continue their brazen theft.

The thieves, dressed head-to-toe in black, managed to leave the Tesco store carrying two bags full of stolen goods, walking away without any fear of confrontation.

Left behind were shocked and terrified employees, bearing witness to an incident they were powerless to stop.

Shoplifting, along with other petty crimes like phone snatching, has surged across the country over the past decade.

In 2023 alone, over 430,000 cases of shoplifting were recorded in the UK (According to ONS).

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This figure has ballooned, reaching the highest levels since record-keeping began back in 2003.

Thames Valley Police, which covers Reading and Berkshire, has reported a notable increase in shoplifting charges – up by 98 per cent compared to the previous year.

From April 1 to October 13, 1,691 shoplifting charges were recorded across Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Milton Keynes—up from 852 charges during the same period in 2023.

Thames Valley’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, has noted this uptick in charges, showing at least some progress on paper.