One of London’s most prolific shoplifters jailed following Met Police investigation

Mark Stavrou stole more than £16,000 worth of goods from the Morrisons Petrol Station in Salisbury Hall Gardens and Sainsbury’s Low Hall between January and July 2025.

Stavrou, 33 (15.10.92), of Sherwood Close, Walthamstow, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday, 16 October to three years and two months’ imprisonment.

Detective Chief Inspector Claudine Davie, from the Met’s local policing team in north-east London, said:

“Across London, we're relentlessly going after wanted and prolific shoplifters through intelligence-led patrols and operations in retail crime hotspots. Our officers are solving double the number of shoplifting cases compared to this time last year.

“Stavrou targeted these stores more than a hundred times, not only brazenly stealing thousands of pounds’ worth of goods but using violence and threats towards staff.

“In some instances, Stavrou stole crates of drink while staff were restocking shelves and often filled suitcases full of items before casually leaving on an e-bike.

“This behaviour is totally unacceptable, and it’s down to the relentless determination of officers that we have been able to link Stavrou to these crimes and secure a vast number of convictions.”

On Sunday, 20 July, Stavrou was arrested on North Countess Road in Walthamstow in connection with a theft and assault at Morrisons Petrol Station in Salisbury Hall Gardens.

On Tuesday, 22 July, he was charged with these offences, sparking an extensive investigation into a number of other thefts in the area with Stavrou the main suspect.

Through reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and incident reports collated by staff at both stores, officers were able to link Stavrou to more than a hundred separate shoplifting offences.

Having been granted conditional bail at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 23 July after being charged with the theft and assault at Morrisons and a total of 67 shoplifting offences at Sainsbury’s, Stavrou went on to reoffend the following day, committing further thefts at the same locations.

On Thursday, 21 August, he pleaded guilty to all the shoplifting offences at Sainsbury’s and more than 30 committed at Morrisons, bringing the total to 102, as well as one count of criminal damage, assault and the theft of a bicycle at Thames Magistrates’ Court.

Earlier this month, the Met carried out the UK’s largest ever targeted crackdown on organised shoplifting gangs.

Officers raided more than 120 shops suspected of buying items stolen from major retailers and reselling them at discounted prices. Hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of items were seized and 32 people were arrested.

Working alongside major retailers, more than 300 officers from across the Met were involved in Operation Zoridon. Read more here.

Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met’s lead for tackling retail crime, added:

“We take shoplifting extremely seriously and are targeting those who show disregard for the law and cause fear, misery and suffering to retail workers and communities.

“By putting more officers in local teams, increasing patrols, working closely with retailers and conducting more intelligence-led operations, we are going after the most prolific offenders, and this case is a shining example of what can be achieved by taking this approach.”