A Finchley chemist that has been part of the community for decades has been struck by a spate of thefts.

Jack Hikmet has owned and managed The Gateway Chemist in Regents Park Road in Finchley for 36 years.

However this is the first time he has had to deal with as shoplifting problem.

Mr Hikmet, 60, who has previously caught people in his shop, said: “I have no idea why I am being targeted, we have been in the area for years. But I hear other shops are having these problems too, I do not know what kind of people are moving into Finchley central.

 “I have been hit very badly in the last three to four months and lost around £500. My team of staff are really bothered by it too.

“We have electronic boards and CCTV, and we cannot afford to hire a security guard like other stores. Nothing will deter these people.”

He added that the items taken are small, but are worth around £30- £40 each. 

Official figures from the Metropolitan Police show that no thefts from shops in Finchley Church End were reported from July 2014 to 2016.

However, four thefts were reported from West Finchley stores during the same time.

The figures show that a total of 580 thefts were reported from Barnet in the 2016-2017 financial year.