A CORNER shop worker has been fined after he was caught on the CCTV in his own store buying goods stolen from a nearby garage.

Palanisamy Karthikan, 33, was identified on the cameras in the Westcliff store on four occasions between September 11 and 21 buying goods which had been stolen from the nearby BP garage shop in West Road.

He admitted four counts of dishonestly receiving stolen goods at the Premier store in West Street when he appeared before Southend magistrates on Wednesday.

The court heard he’d purchased a total of 20 cans of energy drink, 92 packets of chocolate bars and six packets of tea bags, worth a total of £325.90.

On each occasion, he paid £15 for the items he received.

Magistrates fined Karthikan, of Springfield Drive, Westcliff, £200 and ordered him to pay an £80 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Investigating officer PC Lois Greenlees, of Essex Police's Southend town centre team, said after the case: “People who buy goods they know to be stolen are committing a crime and running the risk of getting a criminal record.”

The team launched Operation Raker last year to target prolific repeat offenders, including shoplifters who steal in order to fund an addiction.

Lois explains: “A key part of tackling this offending is to cut off the buyers they have lined up and break the cycle of crime.

“If offenders can offload their stolen goods quickly, stealing means easy money for them and a quick ‘fix’ if they are addicted to drugs or alcohol.

“So those who knowingly buy stolen goods are exploiting people with serious addictions for their own financial gain.

“While customers buying the goods will have no idea how the items they are purchasing were obtained. There are many health and safety concerns around this.”

Operation Raker officers work in tandem with Essex Police’s specialist business crime and licensing officers, who visit stores and other businesses in Southend and across the county to promote Operation Pedlar.

This new awareness campaign aims to make stolen goods too hot to handle and stop thieves being able to sell their shoplifted items to other stores.