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A female suspect connected to shoplifting incidents at Bluewater shopping centre has been apprehended shortly after disembarking a flight at Gatwick Airport.
She was taken into custody following an investigation into the theft of expensive handbags from John Lewis. It is alleged that three Coach handbags were stolen from the department store in separate incidents on August 9, 2024, and April 23, 2025.
Authorities are also linking these thefts to an additional incident at John Lewis in Cambridge on April 11, where two more bags and a pepper mill set were reportedly stolen. The total value of all the stolen items is estimated to be over £2,000.
On June 4, 2025, Kent Police officers arrested the suspect as she approached the arrivals hall at Gatwick. She has since been charged with three counts of theft and released on bail with conditions, awaiting an appearance before Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on July 7.