Crème Egg raid lands thief behind bars
A shoplifter who stole hundreds of Cadbury’s Crème Eggs in the run-up to Easter has been jailed.
Last updated 2nd Apr 2026
Leah Harding, 37, took hundreds of creme eggs, 64 boxes in total, of the popular seasonal treats from a garden centre on Gunthorpe Road on 13 February.
But the chocolate haul was just the start of a wider sweet-toothed stealing spree.
Later the same day, she targeted another garden centre in Hampton, taking bottles of spirits worth around £300.
Harding, who has no fixed address, then went on to steal alcohol and cheese from a Co-op store in Eye on three separate occasions before being arrested on 18 March.
At Peterborough Magistrates' Court on 27 March, she was jailed for 41 weeks after admitting five counts of shop theft. She was also ordered to pay £882.26 in compensation.
PC Rebecca Risebrow said the offences had a real impact on local businesses.
“These were not isolated incidents, but persistent behaviour that caused financial loss and disruption,” she said.
Police say they will continue working with retailers to tackle repeat offenders across the city.