Smooth criminal – the rise of the middle class shoplifter

High-end shops are targeted 'for the thrill of it' say police

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There's a new breed of shoplifter in town, police around the UK have warned, but they're not what you might expect...

Middle class shoplifters are increasingly targeting high-end shops 'for the thrill of it' in some of our richest cities.

Police this week released CCTV footage of thieves targeting John Lewis in Cambridge - but it's not a problem that's limited to the historic university city.

The video shows a mother-daughter pair caught taking their time in three-floor department storeand hiding clothes in handbags.

Another clip shows a brazen woman dropping perfume into an already full shopping bag.

Police say these offenders, targeting high-end stores, are stealing 'for the thrill of it'.

Cambridge, home to one of the best universities in the world, is one of the UK's richest cities.

The county as a whole saw a 22 per cent increase this year in shoplifting compared to 2024.

PC Emily-Jayne Matthews said a huge bulk of thefts in Cambridge were by the older, middle class with nice houses.

She runs a Facebook campaign called Wanted Wednesdays where she posts images of suspects and many turn themselves in for fear of being exposed.

Caught shoplifters have to pay for the items, receive a lifetime ban from the shop and must apologise in person.