Police donate £3,500 worth of suspected stolen goods to Peterborough charity

More than £3,000 worth of suspected stolen goods have been donated to a Peterborough charity after they were seized by police.

During patrols of the Wellington Street car boot sale in Peterborough city centre on 16 February, neighbourhood officers spotted a large group of people gathered in St Johns Street, selling goods from suitcases and carrier bags

A Cambs Police spokesperson said: “Officers retrieved eight suitcases of goods, worth approximately £3,500.”

Items included:

• 213 confectionary products

• 103 bottles of shampoo and body wash

• 46 boxes of fabric cleaners and softeners

Two women were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, but no further action was taken against them.

Sergeant Steve Rose, from Peterborough’s city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We were in the area in response to concerns raised by the community about the sale of suspected stolen goods at the car boot sale when we came across the haul of goods, which we subsequently seized.

“The items remained in our possession for 30 days to allow for proof of ownership to be provided. After they weren’t claimed, we wanted to make sure they went to good use and not disposed of, so spoke with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, who nominated Peterborough Women’s Aid to receive the goods.

“Since 16 February, we have seized a further £52,000 worth of suspected stolen items in Peterborough. This work to tackle retail crime across the city will continue through regular patrols of the areas most affected, as well as working closely with businesses and partner agencies to identify offenders and put them before the courts.”

Mandy Geraghty, CEO of Peterborough Women’s Aid, commented: “The families we work with often flee from domestic abuse with nothing, so essential items such as these are crucial for the women and children we work with, and the donations we received will definitely improve the lives of the families we support.”

Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston added: “Peterborough Women’s Aid provide a vital lifeline to women and children fleeing domestic abuse. I am truly pleased to see these unclaimed day to day essentials go to towards making the lives of the people they are supporting a bit easier.”