Glasgow business owner warns of man linked to ‘multiple thefts’ across Central Belt

A Glasgow business owner has issued a warning after a spate of central belt thefts that appear to have been committed by the same man.

Helen Grieve, owner of Head to Toe, has warned other business owners to be on their guard after a man stole an employee’s phone. The Baillieston shop owner said the man speaking ‘broken English’ and wearing a cap entered the shop at around 9.30am on Thursday, April 11.

He confidently walked to the back of the store, where when confronted, he asked for a massage. The man then asked for a newspaper and a pen and appeared to explain something in an attempt to distract staff while he took a phone.

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Speak with Glasgow Live of the incident she said: “Our male barber saw the man walk straight to the back of the shop and asked him what he was doing and he asked about a massage. He went back outside and sat in one of the female barbershops. chairs and tried to get into the desk.

“She told him he couldn’t be there and he asked for a newspaper and a pen. As she did that, I think he grabbed the phone that was outside.

‘He wrote something down, got up and left. It wasn’t until about an hour later that she noticed.

“We were very lucky because in the back there were work laptops, phones and cash from the store. I think if one of us hadn’t noticed he would have stolen everything because he had a good look around.”

Helen posted about the theft on social media and was inundated with messages about a man matching the description stealing cash, phones and other valuables in Glasgow, West Lothian, Fife and across the central belt.

She continued: “We have a lot of trust in our customers and it is disheartening to see someone do this. We’ve never experienced anything like this before and it made the victimized employee a little nervous because he was on his own. We have had to increase our security.

“I made the post to warn other salons and have received messages and comments from people in Coatbridge, Fife and other parts of Glasgow saying he had done something similar there, so it doesn’t appear it was specifically targeted. “

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “At around 12.25pm ​​on Thursday 11 April 2024 we received a report of a theft from a business premises on Main Street, Baillieston. Investigations are ongoing.”

Christine Peg, owner of Luna Hair in Uphall West Lothian, said a man matching the description stole a phone just hours later. She said: “He came in and pretended to be looking for hair products.

“He spoke little English and grabbed a piece of paper from behind the desk to write down what he meant. As he did so, he put his newspaper on the desk and picked up the phone underneath.

‘We posted and received replies from other businesses in Whitburn, Bathgate, Strathaven, Glasgow and a few local shops and supermarkets, saying he had gone in and stolen from them, or they should tell him to leave.

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“For us, it’s not even the theft of the phone. That can be replaced with money, the photos that were on it cannot. Those are lost memories and to see someone targeted by hard-working cases is shocking – this is our first time we experience something like this.”

Christine said they reported the incident to police, who told them they believed the thefts in the area were related.

Whitburn Dental Center also reported a theft. In one post they wrote: “Has anyone seen this guy? He enters business premises and steals people’s belongings.

“He just walked into my work in Whitburn and stole my colleague’s iPhone, and apparently did the same in Bathgate.”

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “At approximately 10.35am on Thursday 11 April 2024 we were called to a report of a theft at a business premises in East Main Street, Whitburn. Investigations are ongoing.”

Glasgow Live is also aware of a similar theft by a man with the same description at Neilston Dental Surgery.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We were called at around 4.55pm on Monday April 8 to a report of theft from a property on Main Street in Neilston.

Police could not say whether they consider the incidents related.

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