Police in Free Speech Row Over ‘Shoplifters Are Scumbags’ Sign
9th August 2025
Police officers told a shopkeeper to take down a sign calling shoplifters “scumbags” because it could cause offence, sparking a free speech row.
Rob Davies put up a handwritten note in his shop after repeated thefts that read: “Due to scumbags shoplifting, please ask for assistance to open cabinets.”
But officers from North Wales Police attended his retro shop in Wrexham and told him to take down the sign as it could cause offence.
This is what Britain has come to.