Iceland’s executive chair Richard Walker has insisted that the UK needs to tackle the daily shoplifting “war” on its high streets.

The executive described the UK’s shoplifting epidemic as a “low-level war going on every day,” and called on retailers and the government to take the threat to the high streets more seriously, the Financial Times reported.

Walker said that thefts were costing his retailer £20m per year, which could otherwise be invested across its stores.

Speaking at the publication’s Future of Retail conference, he said: “Shoplifting sounds like cheeky pilfering, but actually it should be called violent crime because we’re talking about thieves using knives, needles and hammers in threats to our staff.”

He welcomed the UK’s recent moves to strengthen laws against shoplifters, including legislation to scrap a £200 summary offence threshold.

He noted that the Information Commissioner’s Office had advised the supermarket not to display images of prolific shoplifters as it could impact their human rights, and described the move as “idiotic”.

“I’ve advised shop managers to do it because this is a low-level war going on every day across our high streets and we need to take it very seriously,” he said.

The retail boss also called on the government to follow through with its promises to reform business rates, which he described as a “Victorian taxation system that is just outdated”.

Arguing that business rates were “the primary reason” the high street was “dying,” he said: “I don’t even want to pay less tax, I just want [online retailers] to be on a level playing field”.

In August, Iceland began offering a financial incentive for customers to report shoplifters in stores, as retail crime continued to skyrocket.

Speaking at the time, the exec said: “The scourge of shoplifting on our high streets continues to plague the UK, and the problem is only worsening, with criminal activity spreading across, not just big cities, but our market towns and villages too.

“In order to combat any activity in Iceland stores, we’re encouraging our loyal customers to help sound the alarm, and if they do help to catch a shoplifter, we’ll top up their Bonus Card to spend in store.”

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