Shoplifting offences hit record high

THE number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales in a single year has passed 500,000 for the first time.

- By Paul Jeeves Crime Editor

A record 516,971 offences were logged in 2024, up 20% from 429,873 in 2023.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which has been collating the data since 2003, said the thefts had shot up since Covid.

Meanwhile, "theft from the person" offences, includ-ing phone snatching and pickpocketing, have rocketed by 22%.

Last year 152,416 incidents were recorded, compared with 125,379 in 2023.

Blighting