A Good Thief is a British television crime drama film, written by and starring Kay Mellor, that first broadcast on ITV on 22 July 2002. The film, directed by Douglas Mackinnon, stars Mellor as Rita Pickering, a working class mother who witnesses a brutal drugs killing. After she testifies in court, she is threatened by a number of gang members, and fearing for her life, goes on the run and is forced to turn to shoplifting to survive.Liz Smith stars as Rita's elderly neighbour Lizzie, while Angel Coulby takes on the role of Rita's daughter Leah. The film was Mellor's first acting role in several years after initially giving up acting and turning her hand to scriptwriting. The film drew 6.06 million viewers on its debut broadcast. Notably, the film has never been released on VHS or DVD.