SHOPLIFTING OFFENCES IN ENGLAND AND WALES AT HIGHEST LEVEL, SPARKING RETAILER CONCERNS

Sun 27 October 2024:

Shoplifting offences reported by police in England and Wales have risen to a fresh 20-year high, according to official figures, as retailers continue to warn about violence against shop workers.

A total of 469,788 offences were logged by police forces in the year to June 2024, a 29% increase compared with the 365,173 recorded in the previous 12-month period.

This is the highest number of shoplifting offences seen, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), since records began in the year ending March 2003.

Retailers have voiced concerns about the rising trend, which they said is contributing to an alarming spike in violence against workers.

Industry leaders are demanding immediate action to tackle the problem of retail crime.

With the theft numbers climbing, businesses are increasingly worried about the safety of employees and the long-term effect on their operations.

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Retailers warn about violent attacks on shop workers

In the king’s speech in July, the government moved to make attacking a shop worker a standalone criminal offence after pressure from the retail industry.

Retailers have said they hope the new crime and policing bill will make it easier for police to investigate and prosecute criminals.

Many shop staff have warned that they feel unsafe at work and are planning to quit working in retail, according to a survey which found that one in three retail workers faced weekly abuse from shoppers.

The Retail Trust charity found that almost half of 1,200 workers they surveyed feared for their safety, while more than a third wanted to leave their jobs or the retail industry because of the rise in violence and abuse.

Chris Brook-Carter, the charity’s chief executive, said: “The incidents we hear about every day are both horrifying and heartbreaking.

“People tell us they have been spat on, had products smashed up in front of them and been filmed on their phones by abusive shoppers who then threaten to post the footage on social media.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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