Success Story: B&Q Crime Centre and Met Police Bring Offender to Justice
A cross-border investigation demonstrates how collaboration delivers results for the retail sector.
Overview
When an organised group of prolific offenders began systematically targeting B&Q stores across the Midlands and South of England, the B&Q Crime Centre faced a complex, multi-jurisdictional challenge. Over five years, the team managed more than 60 linked incidents involving high-value thefts and highly security-aware tactics.
Through a sustained, evidence-led investigation — and in close partnership with the Metropolitan Police and regional forces — the group’s most prolific offender, Daniel Cleveland, was successfully convicted and sentenced to three years in prison.
The Challenge
Retail crime continues to evolve, with organised offenders exploiting store layouts, security blind spots, and regional boundaries to avoid detection.
For B&Q, one group in particular posed an escalating threat. The offenders operated with precision, moving between locations and using sophisticated methods to obscure their activity.
Lois Savage, Senior Crime Investigator at the B&Q Crime Centre, explains:
“Over the past five years, I have been heavily involved in tackling the activity of prolific offenders linked to a B&Q operation who have been targeting stores across the Midlands and the South.
These individuals exhibited high security awareness — they planned meticulously, understood our store layouts, exploited CCTV blind spots, and executed thefts designed to avoid detection.”
The challenge wasn’t only to catch the offenders, but to connect multiple offences across different regions into a single, cohesive case.
The Approach
B&Q’s Crime Centre applied an intelligence-led, partnership-focused approach — leveraging data, collaboration, and investigative persistence.
Lois Savage worked closely with Detective Investigator Ashley Cooke of the Metropolitan Police, developing a coordinated strategy that ensured each incident was connected, evidence was consolidated, and offenders could be held to account collectively.
“This investigation was particularly challenging,” said Ashley Cooke.
“Offences were committed across the country, outside my jurisdiction and beyond my core role at the time. But through persistence, I was able to retain ownership and ensure it received the attention it deserved — often working outside normal hours to push it forward.”
“With fantastic collaboration from Lois, the B&Q Crime Centre, and supportive colleagues like Rav Pathania, we were able to secure a strong result against a highly organised offender.”
This approach exemplified best practice in cross-border intelligence sharing, something often cited as a challenge in the retail security landscape.
Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met’s lead for tackling retail crime, reinforced this:
“A common issue I experience in the retail space is the lack of coordination in tackling cross-border offending.
When the case of Cleveland was discussed with Lois, the true level of his offending was understood, and we took responsibility to act. This case shows what can be achieved when information is shared effectively and the full scope of offending is presented to the courts.”
A Model of Professionalism and Precision
Beyond the joint effort, Ashley highlighted Lois’s exceptional professionalism and the pivotal role she played in securing the conviction.
“I’d worked on prolific offender cases for quite some time before I worked with Lois, but this was the first case I encountered which had been cross-borough, and executed so meticulously by the offenders.
Upon taking case ownership, every request I made to Lois was answered swiftly, and her returns were typically more than I’d bargained for. She took great initiative and went the extra mile — providing evidence to a standard I’d not yet seen. It was clear from the outset that this company took the case seriously and operated to incredibly high standards.
Later in the investigation, I anticipated potential weaknesses at court and requested a detailed statement covering every incident — quite an ask. Lois trusted my process, responded quickly, and provided a statement with more detail than I could have imagined. That statement brought the case together, put the nail in the coffin for the offenders, and helped us present a watertight case to prosecutors.
As I move forward in my career, I’ll consider myself lucky to work with others who demonstrate the same values Lois embodied throughout this investigation — Professionalism, Attention to Detail, Passion, and Resilience.”
The Outcome
Following the coordinated investigation, Daniel Cleveland (33) of Bromley was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to 12 offences of theft and attempted theft, totalling approximately £16,000 in stolen goods, primarily taps and fixtures.
The Metropolitan Police statement noted that Cleveland’s tactics included using store blind spots and even throwing stolen goods over fences to be collected by accomplices using vehicles with false plates.
Simon Moss, B&Q’s Security and Commercial Stock Loss 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 — we’re firmly committed to protecting our colleagues and ensuring the safety and security of our customers.”
The case also demonstrates wider success in the Met’s approach to neighbourhood policing. Retail crime outcomes are improving, with neighbourhood crime down 15.5% and shoplifting detections up by 92% compared to the previous year.
Key Results
- 60+ linked incidents identified and investigated
- £16,000 in stolen goods recovered
- 12 offences proven in court
- 3-year custodial sentence for the lead offender
- Improved collaboration between retail intelligence teams and police
- Reinforced deterrence for organised retail crime groups
Lessons Learned
This case reinforces several key lessons for both retailers and law enforcement:
- Sustained investigation pays off – Long-term tracking of offenders builds the evidence needed for robust prosecutions.
- Cross-border coordination is essential – Sharing intelligence between regions and forces helps connect patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed.
- Partnership drives progress – Open communication and shared purpose between retailers and police amplify impact.
- Retail crime is not victimless – Offending damages communities, businesses, and employee safety; a joint response is critical.
A Model for the Future
For Lois Savage and the B&Q Crime Centre team, the result symbolises more than a successful conviction — it represents a proof point for how corporate investigations and law enforcement collaboration can tackle complex, organised threats.
“Finally, after many years of hard work, I’m seeing the results we’ve been striving for,” said Lois.
“This outcome demonstrates the value of sustained, evidence-led investigations and the critical importance of close collaboration between businesses and law enforcement.”
At Zinc Systems, we believe cases like this showcase the future of retail security, intelligence-driven, connected, and collaborative.
By empowering crime and risk teams with technology that supports visibility, analysis, and multi-agency coordination, retailers can not only respond to incidents but prevent them.
About the B&Q Crime Centre
The B&Q Crime Centre is a dedicated intelligence and investigations hub designed to reduce crime, enhance colleague safety, and support law enforcement partnerships nationwide. Using data-driven tools and cross-departmental collaboration, the team delivers measurable results that protect people, assets, and reputation
About Zinc Systems
Zinc Systems delivers advanced platforms for incident, risk, and security management, helping organisations connect intelligence, automate workflows, and collaborate with confidence.
Our solutions empower teams like the B&Q Crime Centre to move from reactive investigation to proactive prevention — driving safer, smarter environments.
+44 (0)20 3989 4859 
info@zinc.systems 