Shoplifters strike on average 1,000 times a day as retail theft scourge soars
Shoplifting has rocketed by 25% in the past year, data shows.
There were 365,164 offences in the year to June, up from 292,584 in the previous 12 months. Retailers and unions have urged the police to do more to tackle the scourge. It comes after fears about the cost of shop thefts – £1.9billion a year. Usdaw union’s Paddy Lillis said: “This 25% increase in shoplifting is further evidence we are facing an epidemic of retail crime.”
Overall crimes recorded by police in England and Wales hit 6.7 million, up from 6.5 million, the Office for National Statistics added yesterday. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has said some criminals with terms of less than a year will avoid jail to free up spaces. Mr Lillis said it risked shoplifting being seen as decriminalised. He is backing The Mirror’s campaign to Clamp Down on Shoplifting.
Paul Gerrard, of the Co-op, added: “It is prolific offenders driving violent theft in stores.” Robberies rose 11% to 77,337 in the past but were 14% lower than before the Covid pandemic. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Labour will axe the £200 limit on shop thefts being probed.
The Home Office added Policing Minister Chris Philp will continue to work with shops and police “to stamp out this unacceptable crime”. Mr Lillis added: “This week the Justice Secretary announced a softening of sentencing policy for what they regard as ‘low-level’ crimes, which could add to the impression that theft from shops has been decriminalised.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
Mirror's campaign“Victims would be further distressed if violent shoplifters are not appropriately punished for the terror they reign in stores.” Usdaw figures previously found three quarters of retail workers had suffered abuse from customers, with theft the trigger for a third of these incidents.
One of the bosses of convenience store firm Nisa has also called for more action in the wake of increased shoplifting levels. Victoria Lockie, Nisa’s head of retail, said: “It is of no surprise to us that the figures represent exactly what we hear from our retailers on a weekly basis - this is an issue which is not going away without action being taken.
“I’d call on all of the appropriate authorities to offer improved support to retailers, respond quicker to their calls and ensure there are serious consequences to anyone who puts the safety of store workers at risk.” The British Retail Consortium, who represent major retailers, have previously said police data is just the tip of the iceberg and it believes there are eight million incidents of shoplifting.
Graham Wynn, assistant director of business regulation at the BRC, said: “These high levels of theft are unsurprising. Retail crime has been getting increasingly worse, with thieves becoming bolder and more aggressive. Retailers are spending huge sums of money on crime prevention measures, but more must be done. We need the police to give retail crime greater prioritisation.”
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “The official figures reported to the police, while rising, still represent a fraction of what’s actually happening on the ground. The vast majority of theft still goes unreported, as retailers are frustrated at the lack of response and follow up activity from their local police forces.”
Commenting on the figures, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Shoplifting has reached epidemic levels driven by organised criminal gangs, with a 25% surge over the past 12 months alone. Labour will scrap the £200 rule which stops shoplifting being investigated, put guaranteed neighbourhood patrols back into town centres with 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs.”
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