Why it matters: Liam Claydon, 36, of Victoria Street, Ipswich, has been sentenced to 36 weeks in prison after being charged with five theft offences from shops in Ipswich, relating to goods with a combined value of over £450, activating a pre-existing prison recall.
The details: Officers from Ipswich Central Community Policing Team arrested Claydon on Saturday, 1 November 2025, following a short foot chase in the Surrey Road and Prospect Road area. Two members of the public tried to help officers during the pursuit, though they left before police could thank them.
Claydon was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison in August for stealing from Tesco, Co-op and Farmfoods stores in Ipswich between June and August. That spree saw him steal groceries, toiletries and meat worth more than £1,000.
What they're saying: Ipswich Police said in a social media post: "This was made a lot easier by two members of the public who tried to help, they didn't stick around for us to thank them at the time, so we wanted to say a big thanks to those involved."
The bottom line: The latest convictions bring Claydon's total theft offences to at least 10 separate incidents across Ipswich supermarkets since June. In his previous sentencing, he was ordered to pay £776.81 in compensation to the various stores.
