iPhone theft: Man and woman arrested after attempt to sneak phone out of warehouse in lunchbox

A wannabe thief tried to steal an iPhone by hiding it in a packed lunch - but was foiled by a store security guard.

Two people were scanned with a metal detector as they tried to leave a warehouse in Coddington, near Newark in Nottinghamshire, with a lunch box setting off the device. The security guard then searched the box and found a new iPhone hidden inside one of the suspects' lunches. One of the suspects bolted but didn’t get far before they were stopped and detained by the guard. Police were called at about 2.35am on Friday, and arrested a 37-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man on suspicion of theft.

Inspector David Platt, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Whether it’s straight off the shop floor or from a store warehouse, shoplifting is never acceptable and can be hugely damaging. To use this incident as an example, had it not been for the alertness shown by the guard on shift, thieves would have been able to make off with a very expensive item. Shoplifting offences can have a significant impact on businesses and the local community too, which is precisely why Nottinghamshire Police take all reports of this nature extremely seriously. As an example, we attended the scene within minutes of receiving reports of this incident and arrested two people on suspicion of theft."

A new Apple iPhone 15 can cost £800, with the proMax models retailing for more than £1,000.