ON Tuesday March 4th, Herts officers responded to a report of items being taken from the Co-Op in the High Street, Potters Bar.

Three people were stopped and searched nearby.

Elsie Yorke, 34, from Hart Road in Harlow, and Ryan Smith, 33, from York Road in Southgate, Greater London, have both been charged with theft from a shop.

They remain in police custody and will appear in court today (March 6).

A 40-year-old man, of no fixed address, was also arrested but later released with no further action taken.

Hertsmere Neighbourhood Inspector Rachael Robertson said: “Theft from shops is a prominent issue nationally and we’ve been working hard to prevent offences from occurring in Hertsmere.

“This has included proactive patrols and operations, visual audits of hotspot locations to identify any crime prevention measures which could be put in place and discussions with loss prevention managers.

“We’ve also made a number of arrests in recent months, resulting in custodial sentences being handed down.”