A “well-known” thief caught stealing a load of Marks and Spencer’s beef steaks from a shopping centre in Mansfield has been jailed following a dramatic arrest in the middle of a river
A notorious shop-lifter caught nabbing posh M&S steaks has been jailed after a dramatic chase saw him pursued and caught in a river.
Simon Child, 46, was spotted performing the meaty heist at Mansfield town centre on August 11, with cops quickly launching a pursuit of the shoplifter down local streets and over a bridge.
According to a police statement, the beefy bandit thought he had successfully evaded capture by wading ankle-deep down the River Maun, although one officer followed him into the water in order to bring him to justice. After a brief struggle between the pair, which saw the officer assaulted by the assailant, Child was arrested and brought onto dry land.
Dramatic footage shows Child being arrested by the intrepid cop, with the “well-known” burglar clearly soaking wet having fallen into the river, with damp trousers and dripping hair.
Appearing at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 26 August, Child, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to six counts of shop theft and assaulting a police officer and was jailed for a total of 24 weeks.
It is not known exactly what Marks and Spencer’s steaks Child targeted, although the supermarket is known to have some of the priciest products on the market, with one premium cut of wagyu topside costing £38.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said that despite getting “wet” and being “assaulted”, the cop involved in the pursuit had performed “exceptional service” in bringing the steak stealer to justice.
Sergeant Catherine Darby, of the town centre policing team, said: “This was a great bit of work by all the officers involved, particularly the officer who entered the water.
“He used his extensive local knowledge to catch up with and detain a suspect attempting a highly unusual getaway.
“He may have got wet and been assaulted for his troubles, but he provided an exceptional service to the people of Mansfield.”
Experts have warned that shoplifting poses an almost existential threat to British businesses, with research published by the commercial insurer NFU Mutual suggesting that impacted businesses are being set back around £83,000 on average.
A study from the British Retail Consortium found that there had been a whopping 5.5m incidents of shoplifting in 2025, which had cost the industry an estimated £400m.