An 78-year-old woman got a conditional caution and must pay £105 for stealing three jumpers from a family-run market stall in Essex.

A 78-year-old woman received a conditional caution and must pay £105 in compensation for stealing three jumpers from a family-run market stall in Saffron Walden, Essex, where the business has operated for 70 years. Paul Rich, who sells Italian knitwear, reported the thefts and worked with police, including officer PC Ryan McNamara, to identify the suspect using CCTV footage. While the woman was cautioned, a second individual seen in the footage faced no action. Rich expressed distress over social media support for the offender, stressing the impact of theft on small businesses and family livelihoods. Police emphasized the role of strong evidence in securing guilty pleas and urged the public to respect local traders.