Shoplifting has risen by 20 per cent to hit another record, the latest official figures showed today.
Police recorded 530,643 offences in England and Wales in the year to March 2025 - the highest figure since records begun and up from 444,022 in the previous year.
Shoplifting has become an increasing nightmare for High Street shops, with only a tiny minority of offenders ever charged.
The crisis is illustrated by sickening CCTV revealing thieves casually walking out of stores with armfuls of high-value goods.
Footage from a Waitrose store in London's Notting Hill earlier this month showed two men leaving with a stash of steak and salmon while staff watched on - forbidden from doing anything due to company policy.
