Doncaster thief behind bars after attacking shop worker

Rebecca Lyne, aged 42, assaulted a member of staff at Heron Foods in The Green, Thorne, on Monday 2 October after trying to walk out of with £12 worth of cans of gin.

Staff challenged Lyne as she attempted to leave the store with the stolen items. However, rather than cooperating, she ran from the premises with staff giving chase.

Lyne then attacked one member of staff by hitting her in the chest, before verbally abusing other employees outside the store.

She also went on to send a threatening message via social media to the staff member she assaulted.

Lyne, of Kenyon Close in Thorne, was arrested by officers and charged with theft and assault. She appeared before Doncaster Magistrates' Court last Wednesday (4 October) and was jailed for six months.

Sergeant James Housley, of our Doncaster East Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Lyne has been prolific in her offending and has been repeatedly targeting businesses with no regard for the impact her crimes have on business owners and the local community.

"This was a swift turnaround with Lyne now behind bars and we hope this sentence serves to emphasise just how committed we are to tackling retail crime and violence in our communities.

"Retail staff should be able to go to work without the fear of being attacked and as a team we are determined to continue working with partners and stakeholders to tackle criminality and take disruptive and violent individuals like Lyne off our streets."