News Beat
Retail staff face Christmas shoplifting epidemic as figure reveal more than 800 offences go unsolved every DAY
RETAIL staff are facing a Christmas shoplifting epidemic, with 810 offences going unsolved every day.
Some 295,589 cases were closed with no suspect identified in the past year, House of Commons Library research shows.
The figure, which is more than half of the 530,439 thefts reported, is up 65 per cent on the previous 12 months.
And the research found that fewer than one in five of shoplifting cases led to a suspect being charged or summonsed to court.
Politicians last night warned retail workers have been left in fear and risk putting themselves in danger by trying to tackle thieves themselves.
Lib Dem trade spokesman Joshua Reynolds, a former shop worker, said: “This Christmas, thousands of dedicated shop staff will be left in fear, dreading their shifts because of facing potential abuse or even violence from thieves.
“Staff are being forced to intervene, even putting themselves in danger to protect their businesses.”
Lib Dems want the problem tackled with a mass CCTV roll-out, with the Government offering small independent convenience stores grants and loans of up to £6,500 for the task.
They claim the scheme would save police cash by preventing thefts and catching crooks faster.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp slammed “Labour’s lawless Britain”, where he said “shoplifting is spiralling out of control, petty criminals go unpunished and shopworkers put in danger”.
But he said of the Lib Dem plan: “A few CCTV grants will not fix this.”
He pledged to recruit 10,000 more cops.
In Newcastle yesterday, Christmas shoppers said retailers should use profits to increase security.
Civil servant Emma McCarthy, 44, said: “These companies are making a lot of money but they expect the staff to police the shops for them.”
