Jewellery shop owners and bank managers in Edgware can breathe a sigh of relief as local thieves have a new target: copies of the Jewish Chronicle, according to stockists W H Smith.

When customer Jacqui Hacker visited its branch in Edgware’s The Broadway in consecutive weeks and found no JCs on sale, she assumed the newspaper had sold out. Instead, she says she was told by the manager that the JC was kept behind the counter because copies kept being stolen.

“It’s only the JC that is being targeted,” she said. “I found it extremely insulting, I don’t want to stand in a very long queue and ask for something behind the counter — like it is illicit.”

A Smith’s spokesman explained: “The newspaper was temporarily moved behind the counter, in line with our usual process to address theft, with clear signage so that customers knew that the publication was available if they asked at the till.” But it will now be restored to public view.