Police arrested a woman in Penrith town centre after an alert was raised over a suspected shoplifting at Marks & Spencer.
The alarm was raised shortly after 3pm on Tuesday after a woman was reported to have stolen a number of items from the store before leaving on foot towards the town centre.
The store used the Shop Watch radio to alert the local police team, with PCSOs and a response officer sent to the area.
Staff were able to provide police with a still image from the store's CCTV, which was shared with officers.
Within just over 20 minutes, at 3.32pm, a local town centre PCSO had located and detained a woman matching the description.
A response officer carried out a search and the stolen items were found.
The woman was interviewed and police say she will be dealt with appropriately.
The incident also demonstrates how the Shop Watch system is being used by Penrith businesses to quickly share information about incidents and suspected offenders.
As well as providing a direct link between participating businesses and the police, the radio system allows shops to communicate with each other and warn neighbouring businesses when there is suspicious activity or a crime in progress.
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