He was arrested at his home in Bromley and police have never recovered the stolen goods
Daniel Cleveland stealing
A brazen thief who stole thousands of pounds of goods from B&Q stores in London and across the south of England has been caught and locked up after a shoplifting spree that went on for more than a year. Daniel Cleveland, 33, Lamerock Road, in Bromley, stole about £16,000 worth of goods – mainly taps – from the DIY store in Greenwich as well as branches in Kent, Hampshire, Essex and Buckinghamshire over 13 months.
He worked with an unidentified accomplice. In one case, at a Kent store, CCTV – footage included above – caught the two throwing their loot over a fence from inside the garden centre of the store. It took them two attempts to throw one item over, after it bounced back the first time. They then collected the goods from the other side and bundled them into a getaway vehicle with false plates.
Cleveland was arrested at his home on Wednesday, April 30. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft and three counts of attempted theft at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, 19 August. He was hit with three years behind bars on Thursday, September 25. The stolen goods were never found.
‘Shoplifting is not a victimless crime’
Simon Moss, B&Q Security and Commercial Stockloss Manager said: “This case highlights the power of collaboration and intelligence sharing between retailers and the police. It sends a clear message to those who target B&Q and other retailers that we will take every appropriate action to identify offenders and fully support law enforcement in bringing them to justice.
“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. B&Q is firmly committed to protecting and supporting our colleagues from the impacts of shoplifting, and to the safety and security of our customers.”
‘Thieves cause fear’
Chief Inspector Rav Pathania said: “The Met is prioritising neighbourhood policing, putting more officers in local teams to tackle issues that matter most to Londoners, including shoplifting. Officers worked with B&Q to review nine reports of theft and three reports of attempted theft carried out between February 2024 and March 2025.
“We work with businesses to target the most prolific offenders, as we know the fear they cause retail workers and the negative impact their offending has on communities. As a result, neighbourhood crime is down 15.5 per cent this year and we have solved 92 per cent more shoplifting so far this year.”
Timeline of the thefts and attempted thefts
- February 26 2024 – attempted theft from B&Q Larkfield in Kent
- August 27 2024 – theft from B&Q Greenwich
- August 29 2024 – theft from B&Q Ashford in Kent
- September 1 2024 – theft from B&Q Farnborough in Hampshire
- September 3 2024 – attempted theft from B&Q Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire
- September 23 2024 – attempted theft from B&Q Ashford in Kent
- September 23 2024 – theft from B&Q West Thurrock in Essex
- October 23 2024 – theft from B&Q Farnborough in Hampshire
- November 13 2024 – theft from B&Q Braintree in Essex
- March 12 2025 – theft from B&Q Greenwich
- March 20 2025 – theft from B&Q Larkfield in Kent
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