Briton arrested, sacked for eating colleague’s biscuits

LONDON - A British worker on night shift was arrested and later sacked after he helped himself to a few biscuits from a colleague’s desk, a media report said Tuesday.

Michael Campbell, 27, thought it would be fine if he had a few shortbread biscuits, Daily Express reported.

The Marks & Spencer selection, worth seven pounds, belonged to Pamela Harrison who discovered her biscuits had been taken.

Campbell was identified through CCTV camera and the former technical support worker was arrested.

He says he was under the impression that the biscuits had been bought by the company for staff to eat. He has now been ordered to repay the cost of the biscuits after being produced before magistrates in Newcastle.

He was also given a 12-month conditional discharge, ordered to pay 150 pounds court costs and told that he had lost his job, the media report said.

Pamela Harrison said that taking biscuits from her desk Dec 9 had invaded her privacy, adding: “Im disappointed that someone who is working as a work colleague finds the need to prowl around peoples personal space and take items which, though of low value, can make someone feel insecure.

After the hearing, Campbell said he couldn’t believe that he was being prosecuted.

He is now training to be a bar manager and says: Its totally stupid. 157 for one box of biscuits. I thought they were from the company but they were actually from a person who had brought them in. I work in a pub now where I am trusted with the keys. I am not a dishonest person.