Moment adults use 12-year-old boy to steal fossils while they distract gift shop staff as boss says he’s had to introduce ‘shoplifting tax’

• Staff only realised the theft after they noticed items missing and reviewed CCTV 

Shocking video has emerged of shameless adults using a young kid to distract gift shop staff before stealing fossils.

The family were filmed entering the gift shop in Weymouth, Dorset.

In the video, the father figure appears to pick up and look at various objects before putting them back on the shelves.

At one point the mother, who is carrying a baby, asks a member of staff a question, seemingly distracting them.

At one point the mother, who is carrying a baby, asks a member of staff a question, seemingly distracting them

The boy is about 4ft in height and was wearing Wellington boots, a black coat, grey jogging bottoms and a dark beanie hat

All the while their son, who is aged about 12, secretly puts several fossilised rocks in his coat pocket.

Staff at the shop only discovered the theft when they noticed missing products from the shelves and then reviewed the CCTV footage.

The boy is about 4ft in height and was wearing Wellington boots, a black coat, grey jogging bottoms and a dark beanie hat.

The manager of the shop has described the shoplifting as ‘self-entitled greed’.

He said: ‘The parents pretended to shop while the son filled his boots.

The manager of the shop has described the shoplifting as ‘self-entitled greed’

The child is captured on a second camera taking items from the shelf and putting them in his jacket pocke

‘It’s absolutely a family thing. The vibes were not right at all. The CCTV shows them regularly meet up around the shop and whisper to one another.

‘Sadly this is not a unique situation and is a readily occurring thing, especially with families.

‘Unfortunately, it’s a national epidemic and a cloud over local businesses.

‘The effect on the business is big. We try to keep prices down but you end up adding on a shoplifting tax whether you want to or not.

‘The worst effect is on morale of staff. It’s hard not to take it personally.

‘It’s demoralising. The amount of time spent looking at cameras and footage is depressing and the mistrust it breeds is not fun.’

He said he did not report the latest shoplifting incident to the police because he finds the process ‘time-consuming’ and ‘soul destroying’ and the culprits are often let off without any consequences.

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