Man charged with nearly 50 shop thefts

A man has been charged in relation to nearly 50 shop thefts in Sandwell.

Matthew Marsh, aged 33 of no fixed address has been charged with 47 counts of shop theft and one count of assaulting an emergency worker.

This comes after more than £2,700 of items have been stolen from stores in Oldbury and Rowley Regis between February and August.

An officer was also hit to the face after we responded to a shop theft report in June. Marsh was remanded in custody to appear at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court yesterday.

Sandwell has a dedicated retail crime team that focuses on bringing prolific offenders to justice. The team works closely with store security, retailers and partner agencies to keep the community safe.

Please report any incidents of retail crime by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.