WATCH: Booze thief threatens Preston shop assistant with bottle

The man, who stole two bottles of sparkling wine from a Preston newsagent’s shop, was captured on CCTV helping himself and then making his escape.

Now Sailesh Patel, owner of St George’s News in Deepdale, has made the image public in an attempt to identify the culprit and an accomplice who was standing guard outside the shop.

“If anyone knows this man could they please contact the police,” said Mr Patel at the shop in St George’s Road. “It was disgusting what he did.

“It was so blatant. He just walked in, grabbed bottles of Lambrini and Cassini and calmly walked out.

“When a member of staff went after him out on to the street to challenge him, he raised a bottle in a very threatening way and she was forced to back off.

“He was with another man and the two of them just walked off down the street.

“It’s not so much about the money in this case, it was the fact he threatened the assistant and made her scared.

“He needs catching.”

The theft, last Friday afternoon, was reported to police who have viewed the CCTV footage.

The film shows him enter the shop while the other man stands outside the door on lookout. The pair escaped south down St Paul’s Road towards the city centre.

The thief, who was white with short brown hair, was wearing a dark grey zip-up jacket, dark trousers and white and black trainers.

The other man, also white, was wearing a dark bob cap, red and black coat and jeans.