Shoplifting is a growing problem in the UK. These incidents can lead to financial loss as well as injuries, so we set out to research the extent of the problem and whether or not more can be done to tackle it.
Get Help From Personal Injury Claims UK
Sometimes when you’re at work, you may have to confront a shoplifter. In certain cases, this could lead to you suffering an injury through no fault of your own. If your employer should have done more to protect you, they could be liable.
If you’d like advice on making a compensation claim, please get in touch with Personal Injury Claims UK for free.
You can also head here to learn more about CICA claims and payouts.
How We Conducted Our Research Into Shoplifting Offences
We sent Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every police force in England and Wales asking how many shoplifting offences have been in the area that the force covers [between April 6 – April 5 2019/2020, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24].
We also asked how many prosecutions were made as a result of these offences over the same five-year period.
Statistics On Shoplifting Offences In The UK
Shoplifting in England and Wales has risen to a new 20-year high after the Office for National Statistics revealed that offences have been up 30% in the previous 12 months.
During this time, retail bosses have accused ministers of allowing shoplifting to effectively become decriminalised, with large disparities between annual offences and resulting prosecutions, as well as a large number of offences not being reported.
One of the suggested driving factors behind the increase in shoplifting offences is said to be the cost of living crisis that the UK has experienced over recent years.
The cost to businesses is substantial, with theft losses doubling in the past year to £1.8 billion and an additional £1.2 billion spent on anti-crime measures, which is up from £950m the year before.
Gloucestershire
Shoplifting offences – Gloucestershire
No. of shoplifting offences
2019/20 | 3123
2020/21 | 2396
2021/22 | 2533
2022/23 | 3147
2023/24 | 4270
Total | 15,469
Shoplifting charges/summons – Gloucestershire
No. of shoplifting charges/summons
2019/20 | 537
2020/21 | 464
2021/22 | 404
2022/23 | 469
2023/24 | 513
Total | 2387
South Yorkshire
Shoplifting offences – South Yorkshire
No. of shoplifting offences
2019/20 | 9949
2020/21 | 6115
2021/22 | 7924
2022/23 | 10,588
2023/24 | 14,350
Total | 48,926
Shoplifting charges/summons – South Yorkshire
No. of shoplifting charges/summons
2019/20 | 2233
2020/21 | 1374
2021/22 | 1767
2022/23 | 2514
2023/24 | 3821
Total | 11,709
North Wales
Shoplifting offences – North Wales
No. of shoplifting offences
2019/20 | 4035
2020/21 | 2702
2021/22 | 3372
2022/23 | 4188
2023/24 | 4932
Total | 19,229
Shoplifting outcomes – North Wales
Norfolk
Shoplifting offences – Norfolk
No. of shoplifting offences
2019/20 | 4403
2020/21 | 2739
2021/22 | 3044
2022/23 | 3960
2023/24 | 4967
Total | 19,113
Shoplifting charges/summons – Norfolk
No. of shoplifting charges/summons
2019/20 | 1366
2020/21 | 788
2021/22 | 854
2022/23 | 1068
2023/24 | 1602
Total | 5678
Suffolk
Shoplifting offences – Suffolk
No. of shoplifting offences
2019/20 | 4095
2020/21 | 2185
2021/22 | 2611
2022/23 | 3319
2023/24 | 3508
Total | 15,718
Shoplifting charges/summons – Suffolk
No. of shoplifting charges/summons
2019/20 | 1133
2020/21 | 527
2021/22 | 582
2022/23 | 790
2023/24 | 874
Total | 3886
Shoplifting offences – Essex
No. of shoplifting offences
2019/20 | 11,056
2020/21 | 7744
2021/22 | 7939
2022/23 | 10,369
2023/24 | 12,283
Total | 49,391
Essex
Shoplifting solved outcomes – Essex
No. of shoplifting solved outcomes
2019/20 | 2046
2020/21 | 1658
2021/22 | 1988
2022/23 | 2268
2023/24 | 3152
Total | 11,112
Cumbria
Shoplifting offences – Cumbria
No. of shoplifting offences
2019/20 | 2192
2020/21 | 1392
2021/22 | 1776
2022/23 | 2047
2023/24 | 2259
Total | 9666
Durham
Shoplifting offences – Durham
No. of shoplifting offences
2019/20 | 4981
2020/21 | 3219
2021/22 | 3585
2022/23 | 4844
2023/24 | 7142
Total | 23,771
Shoplifting charges/summons – Durham
No. of shoplifting charges/summons
2019/20 | 1068
2020/21 | 583
2021/22 | 635
2022/23 | 864
2023/24 | 1657
Total | 4807
