A market trader in an Essex town said it was "sickening" to be stolen from by a 78-year-old woman three times in four weeks.
Paul Rich sells Italian knitwear at a stall in Saffron Walden, owned by his father and his grandfather before him.
In November he reported to Essex Police that three jumpers had been stolen in the span of four weeks.
Following an appeal, two women were identified including a 78-year-old who received a conditional caution for three shop thefts and was required to pay back the cost of the jumpers - £105.
No further action was taken against the second woman.
Paul said: “I’m trying to earn a living for my young family.
"My family has had a stall on this market for 70 years so the person who stole from me would have recognised me.
“Even if you don’t speak to someone, there’s a certain familiarity and the fact they still felt fine to take from me was quite sickening.
“It’s not just a jumper - it costs a lot of money to run a small business like this.
"If you steal, you’re taking food out of the mouths of my family.”
Town centre PC Ryan McNamara checked Saffron Walden Town Council’s CCTV cameras covering the market square and found footage of the thefts.
Paul said: “Ryan knew time was a key factor and smashed it out of the park. I couldn’t be happier.
“He is well known in the town centre and, if something happens here, I feel like Ryan takes it personally.
"Anyone can do their job but doing it well and doing it in the manner he does is another thing altogether.”
Saffron Walden, which is less than an hour's drive from Romford according to Google Maps, was named as the best place to live in the UK by the Sunday Times in March 2025.
Ryan added: “Our retailers, small business owners and market traders work really hard.
“They are trying to make a living for themselves and their families and stealing is not right.
“What helps us to identify shoplifters and get them to court is good quality CCTV footage and witness statements.
"People faced with those often plead guilty at the first opportunity.”
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