A former criminology lecturer who calls herself the “UK’s poshest thief” has been fined for stealing more than £1,000-worth of Le Creuset cookware, steaks, wine and gin. Pauline Al Said and her husband, Mark Wheatcroft, have been fined £2,500 between them after the thefts from a garden centre and a branch of M&S. The 35-year-old former criminology lecturer at Bath Spa University branded herself the country’s most upscale pilferer on her X account. She was found guilty of two counts of theft and Wheatcroft was also convicted on one count of theft.
Guardian (Kate McIntosh)
Hatful of hello
A police officer has been reunited with a hat stolen from his squad car 23 years ago. Superintendent Paul Allen said he had to “get the cream cakes in” after it was nicked from the back seat on a busy Saturday shift in Leicester when he was a PC. He was stunned to hear it had been found by a litter picker at Ibstock Quarry, 14 miles away. He said he won’t be wearing it but that it is in “really good condition” and will take pride of place on his shelf.
Metro (Michael Meadowcroft)
It’s the thought that counts
Tesco has launched a wedding-list service that reflects “the real needs of modern couples” at a time of rising living costs. Six gift bundles have been curated, ranging from £39 to £156, including a “really useful stuff package” that includes eight kitchen rolls, 100 bin bags, two tubes of toothpaste and 60 rolls of luxury toilet paper.
Wales Online (Daragh Brady)
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This article appears in the 12 Jun 2025 issue of the New Statesman, What He Can’t Say