Shoplifting offences soar to highest level in 20 years, new figures show

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said: “In relation to shoplifting specifically, shoplifting is clearly unacceptable and the Prime Minister has previously talked about it being a blight on our communities, the damage it causes to our businesses, and we’re absolutely clear that we should take a zero tolerance approach to this crime.” He said charges were up 46% in the last year as police work more closely with retailers, but admitted “there’s more to do to protect retail workers and tackle repeat offenders”. “The latter has risen by more than 100,000 offences, while the police have been dealing with the highest levels of theft from the person offences recorded in two decades.” Meanwhile, crimes involving knives or sharp instruments were up seven per cent to 49,489 offences in 2023, but have not yet reached the pre-pandemic high of 51,206 offences in the year ending March 2020. open image in gallery Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said soaring shoplifting has ‘ruinous’ consequences for high streets “Despite repeated warnings from retailers, communities, and from Labour that action was needed to tackle soaring shoplifting and abuse affecting our town centres, these figures show that shoplifting has surged by further 37 per cent in the last 12 months alone to its highest ever recorded level, with ruinous consequences for our town centres and high streets,” she said. Our country can’t afford to carry on like this.” Responding to the shoplifting figures, Paul Gerrard, Co-op director of campaign and public affairs, said: “Retail crime impacts shopworkers both physically and mentally, with many communities blighted by unacceptable levels of persistent and prolific offending.” He called for Police and Crime Commissioners to “crack-down” on retail crime by enforcing the new standalone offence of assaulting a shopworker.