Is it illegal to eat food in a supermarket without paying for it?
WE’VE HAD IT OURSELVES TOO: we walk through the supermarket and give our little ones a small snack from the shelves before they pay for it.
Maybe you’ve done it yourself with a bottle of water or nibbled on the end of a baguette that looked too good to wait for.
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It’s a technique parents like to use during stressful shopping trips. But is it really allowed?
You may be surprised to find out that you are actually breaking the law by doing this.
Speak with the liverpool echoCriminal law expert Rachel Adamson explained that grazing on food and drink that you have not yet purchased, but plan to do so, is still considered illegal under section six of the Theft Act 1968.
This has to do with the ‘intention to permanently deprive the other of it’.
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This article states: ‘A person who appropriates the property of another without intending that the other should permanently lose the property himself is nevertheless deemed to intend to permanently deprive the other of it if his intention is to regard the property as his own and to dispose of it, irrespective of the rights of the other. A loan or lending of it may be treated in this way if, but only if, the loan or lending is for a definite period and under circumstances which make it equivalent to an outright seizure or alienation.’
What this essentially means is that even though you intended to pay for the food, you still took something that wasn’t yours because you didn’t pay.
Yes, that basically means you stole it.
This is because ownership of the item is only actually transferred to you after you have paid for it at the checkout.
“Only once the sale is complete do you have the legal right to consume or use it,” Rachel says.
“If you eat the chocolate before you legally own it, you permanently deprive the owner of his rights to the product. He can no longer refuse to sell it to you or remove it from the shelves.”
You may be lucky and find that some supermarkets don’t consider it an offence to have a small snack before paying, but that’s entirely up to them.
If the supermarket considers it a violation, it could be prosecuted and face a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and/or an unlimited fine, the Prosecution.
Many people are divided on social media about this issue, after a mother was shamed for letting her son eat a bag of baby food she bought while they were browsing the shelves together.
The mother, whose name is Samantha Mary, posted a message on TikTok saying she didn’t think it would be a problem because she planned to pay for it.
But some people thought she was wrong.
“100% her job to let you know you can’t eat or drink ANYTHING until you’ve paid for it. I used to work at Tesco and you’re the worst,” someone commented.
And a second said: “I agree with Tesco on this point. Especially if you don’t have cash on you… if your card is declined and you can’t pay, it’s absolutely theft. Pay and then eat.”
MORE LAWS YOU DON’T KNOW YOU’RE BREAKING
SLIDING ON THE ICE: In London you are not allowed to slide on snow or ice.
The rule applies to icy surfaces in “any road or other thoroughfare”, under the Metropolitan Police Act 1989.
If you dare to take part in a prohibited activity, you not only pose a ‘common danger’ to other Londoners.
Incredibly, you can also be fined up to £500, so it’s probably best not to save yourself from a slide,
Dragging planks of wood across the street is another activity that is formally illegal.
CARRYING WOOD: It is prohibited to transport wood on the sidewalk unless it is being loaded or unloaded into a vehicle.
The law arising from the same Met Cops’ Act of 1839 dates back to the Middle Ages, when carts were often overloaded and people were at risk of timber falling.
DING DONG DITCH: Also known as ring the bell and run away, this annoying prank often played by young people is also illegal.
Section 54 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 applies to anyone who “wilfully and recklessly” harasses a resident by ringing or knocking “without lawful excuse”.
