Shoplifting offences across England and Wales have skyrocketed to their highest rate in 20 years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
More than 400,000 incidents were recorded by police during the year to September 2023, 32% above the previous year.
The ONS said there was a “mixed picture of crime” but highlighted a “notable increase in some theft offences, including shoplifting”.
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The news comes as retailers continue to face soaring retail crime, with the government unveiling a Retail Crime Action Plan to tackle the issue in October.
The plan, published by the National Police Chiefs Council, set out how police should respond to and investigate thefts against convenience stores and other retail businesses.
Earlier this week, Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts backed calls for changes in the law to protect shop workers, as abuse and physical attacks on the supermarket’s staff “escalated through last year”.
In November, M&S chairman Archie Norman also claimed faulty self-checkouts were behind shoplifting “creeping in” among the middle classes.
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