Balcatta, Perth security guard clashes with alleged Coles thief

The increasing struggle to make ends meet because of the soaring cost of living has seemingly resulted in a fiery clash between a shopping centre security guard and a  suspected thief. 

Extraordinary footage has emerged of an expletive-filled altercation between a guard in Perth and a shopper who appeared to be trying to take off with a trolley filled with essentials.

The footage, filmed in the primarily middle class suburb of Balcatta in the city’s north, shows the security guard and woman embroiled in a fierce tug of war over a Coles shopping trolley filled with groceries, including soft drinks.

The tussle threatens to spill into oncoming traffic on a nearby busy road.

The woman insists she paid for, and showed, the purchases to a female shop attendant.

‘I f***** showed her mate, I paid for it,’ she says.

But adamant security guard doesn’t believe her story and demands she return with him to the shopping centre.

‘You stop that, let’s go back there,’ he said.

He holds onto the trolley to stop the woman from going anywhere as the argument escalates.

‘I showed the lady’ she argues.

He replied: ‘No no no!’ 

It’s currently unclear how the incident ended.  

A spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the incident wasn’t reported to Western Australia Police.

The Reserve Bank recorded its 10th consecutive interest rate rise on Tuesday after inflation recently rose to its highest level in Australia in 32 years at 7.8 per cent. 

It comes as other Perth store owners expressed concerns about the spike in shoplifting. 

An IGA supermarket manager says her store is losing thousand of dollars each week due to thieves hiding their stolen stash in bags and clothes.

‘They are really brazen,’ she told Seven News.

‘The costs of living and pressures aren’t helping the problem.’

Charities also say the increasing costs are pushing families to the brink.