Hull shopkeeper 'locks shoplifters in' until he gets stock back

A shopkeeper who locks shoplifters in his store says the measure is acting as a deterrent. Rob Ellis, 53, who runs Old Town Store, in Hull city centre, said he lost about £400 a week to theft last year. But he now "sleeps better at night" after shutters were installed to prevent shoplifting and attempted burglaries. According to Ellis, when he spots someone attempting to steal, he lowers the shutters, calls the police and tells them: "You're not going out unless we get our stock back." Ellis said the shutters were installed four months ago and, along with an increased police presence, had noticeably reduced the amount of shoplifting incidents and attempted burglaries, saving him about £1,000 this year so far. He said it could be "worrying" to be locked in with a suspected shoplifter and he did not ask his staff to follow his example. "But I do know how to deal with the majority of them," he added. "Once they are confronted, it is very rare that they carry on." Ellis said last year had been "horrendous" and "must have cost us £5,000 in repairs". He previously told the BBC his staff had been intimidated with knives, syringes and other weapons by shoplifters who were "brazenly just fi