Britain’s cardboard cop cuts shoplifting by 75 percent
August 11th, 2012 - 7:19 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Aug 11 (IANS) The life-size cut-out of a police officer guarding a supermarket in Britain has been so effective that shoplifting has been slashed by 75 percent.
The cardboard cop, nicknamed PC Boardman and based on a real officer, was placed at the entrance and aisles of Asda in Leigh last October, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.
Unwitting customers have even tried to have a chat with their new local policeman before realising it is a fake.
Real officers still visit the store and the force claims it has freed up their time to deal with crime elsewhere, according to the newspaper.
The work is part of a pilot scheme and is to be rolled out across Greater Manchester.
The force recently announced it is axing 290 frontline jobs as it tries to save 135 million pounds by 2015.
- Brad Pitt's cardboard cutouts helping curb reckless driving in Russia - Jun 13, 2009
- ASDA reprimanded over price pledge - Feb 02, 2011
- Shoplifter chops off security guard's ear - Dec 13, 2011
- Helen Mirren's hubby brings wife's cardboard cutout to premiere - Oct 13, 2010
- Life-size cutouts of hot Czech female cops double the amount of accidents - Dec 15, 2010
- 6 brigadiers face the axe in Britain - Apr 06, 2011
- Rose Devlin & Denise Egan's theft attempt goes wrong - Nov 23, 2011
- Suicide bombers killed at Somalian assembly meet venue - Aug 01, 2012
- Britain to relax fines on garbage handling - Jan 16, 2012
- Constable chases own shadow on CCTV prompting - Feb 08, 2012
- UK Stores ashamed to sell religious cards - Dec 22, 2011
- Policeman, officials scuffle at Bengal assembly complex - Mar 24, 2011
- Becks sunbathes with Justin Bieber cardboard cutout at LA mansion - Apr 07, 2011
- CCTV police officer 'chased himself' after being mistaken for burglar - Feb 09, 2012
- Brit woman finds frog in bottle of wine - Oct 06, 2010
Tags: aisles, asda, cardboard, cop, daily mail, frontline, greater manchester, jobs, london, pilot scheme, police officer, policeman, realising, shoplifting, supermarket