Britain’s shoplifting crisis is intensifying as career criminals and organised crime gangs continue to wreak havoc in high streets, new figures show.
Police recorded 529,994 shoplifting offences in the year to June, up 13% on the previous year.
Statisticians said there had also been a 5% rise in “theft from the person” offences.
Data scientists at the Office for National Statistics said there has been “sharp rises in these offences since the pandemic”.
The ONS also recorded another alarming rise in sexual offences, with 211,225 cases opened in the year to June, up from 193,684.
This was partly linked to changes introduced by the Online Safety Act, which aimed to clamp down on revenge porn.
A staggering 72,804 rapes were recorded by officers in the year to June.
Retailers have warned of gangs marauding into shops, sweeping items off shelves, attacking and threatening staff and returning day after day.
The Express’ has launched its Stop The Shoplifters crusade demanding government action to address the crisis and is calling for police to attend all reports of retail theft to help cut the crime epidemic. Retailers have spent £1.8bn on their own security whilst the cost of theft has soared to £2.2bn – a cost that retailers inevitably pass on to hard-pressed customers.”
This is a breaking story. More to follow.