And Probably Not The Last...

...because there's no chance of the useless Met Police changing, and no-one in government inclined to bring them to heel. 

A prolific burglar who broke into a M&S store to steal £500 of sirloin and T-bone steak as well as 20 bottles of prosecco, has become the first person to be jailed in a private prosecution.

Only large chains are able to afford the action this story celebrates, however. The small shopowner is unlikely to be able to afford this. 

David Hanson, 44, who had 105 previous convictions including 33 burglaries, was caught in the act and arrested by two detectives from a private policing company. The store manager from M&S in Streatham Hill had called police immediately after catching Hanson stealing on CCTV but despite the footage, the Met Police decided not to investigate.

Instead, the case was taken on by TM Eye - a private investigator company which was founded by former Scotland Yard chief detective David McKelvey. The firm, which uses plain clothed officers and those in uniform, has already helped prosecute 280 shoplifters, however, the south London case marks the first time a prosecution has been made against a thief.

Just as with the police initially ignoring reports of dangerous dogs, when they do act, they often find other criminality. So they are cutting their own throats with this policy.