A man was arrested after he was detained by members of the public after allegedly trying to steal cigarettes in a Co-op store.

Metropolitan Police were called shortly before 9pm on Wednesday, October 18, to reports of a shoplifting incident at the store on Dagenham Road, Rush Green.

At the scene, shoppers were found to have assisted security guards in detaining the man who was believed to have entered the shop to try to steal cigarettes.

A spokesperson for Met Police has confirmed that no injuries were reported in the incident.

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A 37-year-old man was arrested by police on suspicion of theft and breach of court orders. He was taken to an east London police station where he remains at this time.

He was also charged and remanded to appear in court on Friday (October 20).

Posts on social media had earlier claimed that three local men had stopped the shoplifter, one of whom reportedly “sat on him” until the police arrived.

This is the third time the store has been targeted in recent weeks.  

No arrests have been known to have made in those incidents.