New research has found that shoplifting offences have risen to record high levels, whilst the rate for those charged with shoplifting has dropped.
According to data from the Home Office, there were over 402,000 offences for shoplifting recorded in England and Wales for the year ending in September 2023.
The figures equate to an average of 8,000 offences a week, with 1,100 offences taking place every day.
Analysis from the Labour Party has also seen that the number of people charged with shoplifting offences in the same period went down by a quarter over the course of five years.
From 2018 to 2023, police forces across the country found that the charge rate for shoplifting-related offences went down from an average of 20% to 15%, with a drop of 10,000 charges
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