Shoe thief caught after massive £22,800 haul at Gillingham service station! Michael Tremarco, 35, from Canvey Island, has been locked up for nearly two years following a daring motorway theft and a high-speed police chase across counties.
£20k Shoe Heist at Medway Services
In the early hours of 11 April 2025, a watchful security guard spotted a man skulking near a curtain-sided lorry at Medway Services on the M2. Seconds later, the suspect bolted to a waiting vehicle, which sped off.
Officers found the lorry’s side curtain had been slashed open. The driver, asleep at the time, reported several boxes of shoes missing.
Cross-Country Police Chase Ends in Stratford
Kent Police sprang into action, tracking the stolen lorry all the way to Cadogan Terrace in Stratford, East London. On stopping the vehicle, the driver slid over to the passenger seat, but the law was ready – Tremarco was arrested on the spot.
Inside, police uncovered 23 boxes of nicked shoes worth an eye-watering £22,800.
Judge Sends Thief Down for 21 Months
Tremarco pleaded guilty to theft, driving without insurance, and driving without a valid licence. Maidstone Crown Court sentenced him to 21 months behind bars on Wednesday, 27 May.
Police Praise Sharp-Eyed Security Guard
“This was clearly an organised crime executed swiftly under cover of darkness,” said PC Natalie Newfield, the investigating officer. “Thanks to a vigilant security guard alerting Kent Police, officers tracked the suspect across county lines and arrested him before he could vanish.”
“Let this be a warning – those who come into Kent to commit crime will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.”
