CCTV Said to Show Three-Year-Old Concealing Items in Pyjamas at Glasgow Store

CCTV from a shop in Glasgow, Scotland, is said to show a three-year-old girl concealing around five items in her pyjama bottoms, according to store owner Shamly Sud. Sud, 55, said she was "gobsmacked" when she reviewed the footage and alleged that the child’s parent and sibling created "a distraction" during the incident. The matter was recorded on camera and later reported to police. Sud alleged it was "clear" the girl had been "given instructions" by her mother, noting that the child had her back to the camera as she moved. According to Sud, the toddler set down several higher-priced American food items, then returned to collect them and carried them to the checkout. Sud said: "We found some items missing and when we looked back on camera we were shocked to see it was a young child. They had their back to the camera but you could see they taking items and putting them down. I am just gobsmacked that such a young child has been trained to steal by a parent. This was clearly calculated." Sud owns 11 stores and has worked full-time in retail since 2011. She said crime in the sector was the worst she had seen. "This is not the child at fault here. Any child is not born a thief," she said. "They are taught to do that. It is purely on the mother." She estimated the mother to be in her mid-20s. Sud added that she had faced backlash after sharing the footage but believed it was important to spread her message. "Everyone needs to focus on just how serious this all is. This is by far the worst it has ever been and this is the most shocking thing I’ve ever witnessed," she said. "It makes you worried for the future. Not only what kind of message this sends out but how much worse things will get. There must be more of a deterrent." She said the incident had been reported to police, but she had not received a response.