Shoplifting in England and Wales in 2023 reached the highest level since records began in 2003, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
More than 430,000 offences were recorded last year – up by 37% in the year ending 31 December 2023, compared to in 2022, the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) published shows.
This is the highest figure since current police recording practices began for the year ending March 2003, the ONS said.
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The home secretary James Cleverly said this rise in shoplifting and the police’s categorisation of it as a “sub-threshold crime” has a had “corrosive effect” on people’s confidence in the police.
He added: “There is no such thing as a sub-threshold crime. Crime is crime – it’s black and white. Criminal activity should be policed. Crimes that people see have a corrosive effect on their confidence, and a lack of confidence to be able to live your full life is really important.
“When people see videos of shops being robbed, that has a corrosive effect – so we have to deal with it, which is why we’ve made it absolutely clear they [police] will pursue every reasonable line of inquiry.”
Julian Hayes, criminal defence lawyer and partner at Berris Law LLP: “The release of the recent shoplifting/theft crime figures simply demonstrate that the years of austerity and cuts in policing have meant that the investigation of these so-called minor offences have long since been neglected and ignored.
“The police cannot be blamed for this as they, much like the rest of the criminal justice system are on their knees. The cost to the high street is immeasurable and causing shops and businesses to close or restrict access to customers, not to mention the horrendous risks that members of staff have to take when challenging shoplifters.
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