'Shocking stats lay bare scale of retail crime epidemic'

New figures reveal a 25% rise in shoplifting cases across Staffordshire over the past year

- By Post & Times reporter

A RETAIL trade union says it is 'deeply concerned' after new figures show shoplifting in Staffordshire has increased by 25 per cent.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released figures on Thursday, April 24, showing the 1,547 rise in the year ending December 2024.

Trade union Usdaw said in the whole of England and Wales there has been a trend of persistent quarterly increases, with incidents now having more than doubled since the pandemic and, for the first time, topped half a million offences in a year.

Staffordshire Police said other figures from the ONS show a reduction in crime overall, but have vowed to do more to tackle shoplifting.

They said there were just over 1,000 fewer crimes between December 2023 and December 2024 when compared to the year before, as well as a significant reduction in the number of violent crimes against a person by more than 2,500, stalking and harassment by 1,900, burglary by 35, theft from the person by 73, robbery by 109, and vehicle offences by 73.