Exeter student's eyelash theft bill

A TEENAGE boy who took two  pairs of false eyelashes  worth  £7.50 from a city store has ended  up with a bill for almost £90.

Exeter College student Adam  Hardy had taken the eyelashes  from Superdrug  in the Guildhall  Shopping Centre for his girlfriend.

His angry dad, Mike, 47, of  Farm Hill, Exwick, said: “I was  furious when he told me what he  had done  — although I was glad  he hadn’t taken them for himself.

“But then this bill arrives from  a firm of civil recovery specialists  demanding he pay £87.50.

“It seems the bill has been sent  rather than calling in the police.”

Mr Hardy senior, who is registered disabled, said: “He wasn’t  very good at taking the eyelashes  from the store. The security men  caught him straightaway and  Adam handed back the eyelashes.

“Because he didn’t make a fuss  and owned up they said they  wouldn’t call the police — but  now this.

“This bill, which states that it  was a wrongful act that caused  Superdrug loss, says that the eyelashes cost £7.50 and were returned undamaged — but it goes  on to  charge £52.50 for staff management time investigating  and/or dealing with the incident;  £15.75 for administration costs  and a further £19.25 for apportioned security and surveillance  costs.

“It’s ludicrous. Of course he did  wrong but I think he was intimidated and scared.

“There were three of them. He’s  only 18 and hasn’t got any money  to pay this sort of thing. He is very  sorry and would happily write a  letter of apology if they could drop  the bill.”

Andrew McNeilly, the manager of the Guildhall Shopping Centre, said he was surprised that Mr  Hardy should now be complaining.

“This sort of action saves giving a youngster a criminal record  and it also saves calling the police  and  using their resources for the  matter,” he said.

“Quite often retailers see civil  recovery of costs as a more effective deterrent.

“It does depend on the security  people. It would not be a course  they would adopt in the case of a  prolific offender or someone who  was found to have taken goods of  considerable value.”

He added: “Security officers  will deal with them on a  case-by-case basis.

“Many retailers have to employ  security staff to protect their  stock and you and I have to pay  for that. This is a way to charge  those who steal and allow retailers to defer some of those  costs.”