Police have donated more than £3,000 worth of suspected stolen goods to Peterborough Women’s Aid, after officers seized items during a car boot sale.

Cambridgeshire Police made the donation to the women’s shelter after officers seized about £3,500 worth of essential goods on 16 February, while they were patrolling the Wellington Street car boot sale in Peterborough city centre.

During the patrol, neighbourhood officers spotted a large group of people gathered on St Johns Street, selling goods from suitcases and grocery shop ‘bags for life’.

Officers retrieved eight suitcases worth of goods, including 213 confectionery products; 103 bottles of shampoo and bodywash; and 46 boxes of fabric cleaners and softeners. 

Police said two women were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods but no further action was taken against them.

Sergeant Steve Rose, from Peterborough’s city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We were in the area in response to concerns raised by the community about the sale of suspected stolen goods at the car boot sale when we came across the haul of goods which we subsequently seized.”

He said the items remained in police possession for 30 days to allow for proof of ownership to be provided.

“After they weren’t claimed, we wanted to make sure they went to good use and not disposed of, so spoke with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, which nominated Peterborough Women’s Aid to receive the goods.”

Since 16 February, the police have seized a further £52,000 worth of suspected stolen items in Peterborough, Rose said, adding: “This work to tackle retail crime across the city will continue through regular patrols of the areas most affected, as well as working closely with businesses and partner agencies to identify offenders and put them before the courts.”

Mandy Geraghty, chief executive of Peterborough Women’s Aid, said: “The families we work with often flee from domestic abuse with nothing, so essential items such as these are crucial for the women and children we work with, and the donations we received will definitely improve the lives of the families we support.”

Darryl Preston, police and crime commissioner for Cambridgeshire, said: “Peterborough Women’s Aid provide a vital lifeline to women and children fleeing domestic abuse. I am truly pleased to see these unclaimed day-to-day essentials go to towards making the lives of the people they are supporting a bit easier.”