C-store replacing Swadlincote newsagent, closed after hefty theft

A new convenience store will open soon in place of a former newsagents which was in business for decades before a worker stole tens of thousands of pounds from her employer, forcing it to shut down.

According to local reports, a high street shop in Swadlincote, Telegraph News store, was shut down earlier this year after its former employee Mandeep Kaur swindled £91,000 from the shop, and blew the cash she was supposed to bank on luxury cars and living the high life.

The High Street shop was forced to close down following the theft.

Now, the vacant unit is set to come back into use under new ownership with a new name, 'Swadlincote Food and Wine'. According to the reports, the store is "opening soon" and will be trading between the hours of 6am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 10pm on Sundays.

The 3,302 sq ft building is currently undergoing major refurbishment works ahead of the opening. A couple of job vacancies are being advertised in the window of the unit, stated reports.

The accused is also known for stealing £13,160 from a now-closed branch of Supernews, in High Street, Erdington, Birmingham.

Kaur started work at the Swadlincote store in January 2019 and very quickly started stealing. By February 25 of that same year, the finance director noticed the cash had not been deposited.

She later admitted abuse by position when she appeared at Derby Crown Court on May 19, this year. She was jailed for 18 months for her crime.

The prosecutor read out a business impact statement made by the firm Kaur stole from. In it, the financial director told how the Swadlincote shop had to be closed down with jobs lost which had "an emotional impact on them and their families".