Staff at a village convenience store have defended a policy to stick images of alleged shoplifters on its windows for all to see.

At least a dozen printouts of CCTV stills, clearly showing the faces - and sometimes names - of shoppers accused of stealing goods, alongside written messages such as 'I am a thief', have appeared on the exterior of the Londis premises on Heath Road in Coxheath, Maidstone.

Store workers claim to have been the victim of more than 50 thefts this year alone and insist its 'name and shame' policy has yielded positive results in recent weeks.

An employee, who asked not to be named, said: "Anybody who takes our goods without permission is a thief. They have no right to remove them.

"Are we supposed to just let them carry on thieving?

"The police likely won't do anything if the losses are less than £100, but for a shop like us that might be half a day's takings."

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says the disclosure of information from surveillance systems must be controlled and consistent with the purposes for which the system was established.

Often, the ICO states, it can be appropriate to pass on details to a law enforcement agency - such as the police - when the purpose of the CCTV is the prevent and detect crime.

However, it adds: "It would not be appropriate to place them on the internet in most situations", and warns publishing such information incorrectly, or without full consideration of what is being done, may result in personal data being disclosed and could lead to the ICO taking enforcement action.

Asked whether publishing images alleging people are thieves risks a potential defamation case, the employee said: "We never make mistakes like that.

"We're always 110% sure before we display the pictures."

A spokeswoman for the chain said: "All Londis stores are independently owned and operated, therefore we do not have any managerial control including compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and associated procedures."

She added, however, the retailer would be reminded that they have legal responsibilities under GDPR.

A police spokesman said the force hadn't been contacted by the shop owner about the matter.

Maidstone Borough Council said on social media information had been passed to its community protection team.

The council was approached for further comment.

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