A SHOPLIFTING gang is using family members as young as two to help them steal.
Thieves roaming businesses in Redcar, east Cleveland, have sickened police by using a two-year-old to help smuggle goods out of stores in the town.
In the latest incident, officers arrested a couple in Redcar High Street on November 23 after they found stolen items inside the girl's pushchair.
A 39-year-old man and 35-year-old woman have been bailed. Officers believe the child was used in a similar scam in July by a different woman.
Police suspect the child is used as part of a larger shoplifting gang operation in the town.
Inspector Dave Mead said: "We suspect the child is being used as a distraction tool and to conceal the stolen property.
"It is the cynical use of an infant.
"The child is being schooled in criminality at a very early age, and we believe the people doing this are part of a larger shoplifting gang using other family members."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article