Daniel Cleveland, 33, of Lamerock Road, Bromley, admitted stealing items worth around £16,000, mainly taps, from 11 B&Q branches in Greenwich, Kent, Hampshire, Essex and Buckinghamshire over a 13-month period.
He pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft and three counts of attempted theft at Lewes Crown Court on August 19 and was sentenced to three years in jail on September 25.
Cleveland worked with another man to steal the goods.
In one incident, at B&Q Larkfield in Kent, security cameras caught Cleveland and his accomplice throwing the stolen items over a fence from inside the garden centre of the store.
The men then collected the goods from the other side and bundled them into a getaway vehicle with false plates.
In one incident at the B&Q store in Larkfield, Kent, the pair were caught on camera throwing stolen items over a fence from inside the garden centre.
The men collected them on the other side and loaded them into a getaway car fitted with false number plates.
Officers arrested Cleveland at his home on April 30.
Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met’s lead for tackling retail crime, said: “The Met is prioritising neighbourhood policing, putting more officers in local teams to tackle issues that matter most to Londoners, including shoplifting.
“Officers worked with B&Q to review nine reports of theft and three reports of attempted theft carried out between February 2024 and March 2025.
“We work with businesses to target the most prolific offenders, as we know the fear they cause retail workers and the negative impact their offending has on communities.
“As a result, neighbourhood crime is down 15.5 per cent this year and we have solved 92 per cent more shoplifting so far this year.”
The stolen goods have not been recovered, and enquiries are ongoing to find the second suspect.
The thefts and attempted thefts took place between February 2024 and March 2025, at stores including:
- February, 26, 2024 – attempted theft from B&Q Larkfield in Kent
- August, 27, 2024 – theft from B&Q Greenwich in south-east London
- August 29, 2024 – theft from B&Q Ashford in Kent
- September 1, 2024 – theft from B&Q Farnborough in Hampshire
- September, 3, 2024 – attempted theft from B&Q Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire
- September 23, 2024 – attempted theft from B&Q Ashford in Kent
- September, 23, 2024 – theft from B&Q West Thurrock in Essex
- October, 23, 2024 – theft from B&Q Farnborough in Hampshire
- November 13, 2024 – theft from B&Q Braintree in Essex
- March, 12, 2025 – theft from B&Q Greenwich in south-east London
- March, 20, 2025 – theft from B&Q Larkfield in Kent
Simon Moss, B&Q Security and Commercial Stockloss Manager, said: “This case highlights the power of collaboration and intelligence sharing between retailers and the police.
“It sends a clear message to those who target B&Q and other retailers that we will take every appropriate action to identify offenders and fully support law enforcement in bringing them to justice.
“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. B&Q is firmly committed to protecting and supporting our colleagues from the impacts of shoplifting, and to the safety and security of our customers.”
