Rise in shoplifting crimes recorded in Bedfordshire

There was a rise in shoplifting offences recorded in Bedfordshire last year, new figure show.

Office for National Statistics figures show there were 4,025 shoplifting offences recorded by Bedfordshire Police in 2023. It was up 14 per cent from 3,545 offences in 2022.

John Halliday, marketing director for Bira, said the latest figures "paint a troubling picture for independent retailers and businesses across the UK".

He added a survey by Bira found 35.5 per cent of shop staff had experienced verbal abuse from individuals in their shop. Of those physically assaulted, 70 per cent opted not to report the incidents to the police.

Across England and Wales, shoplifting crimes jumped 37 per cent with 430,104 recorded in the year to December 2023. It was the highest level in 20 years.

James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said the figures were "sadly not surprising".

He added: "Thieves are stealing on a regular basis without fear of apprehension, so it’s essential that every police force in the country takes theft seriously, not least because challenging thieves is one of the biggest triggers for abuse of shopworkers".

The figures are likely to only represent a "fraction of the true picture on shop theft", he said, as the "vast majority" end up not being reported.

The figures show 81,094 robberies were recorded in England and Wales in 2023, up 13 per cent from the year before.

The number of offences involving theft from the person rose 18 per cent from 2022, reaching 125,563 recorded crimes last year.

In Bedfordshire, there were 547 robbery offences in 2023, down from 605 the year before.

There were also 536 theft from the person offences recorded last year, a rise from 473 in 2022.

Crime and policing minister Chris Philp insisted the figures show "communities are safer and our plan to cut crime and protect the public is working".

He added: "We know there is always more to do. Earlier this month, we set out tough new action to clamp down on shoplifting and through the Criminal Justice Bill, we are giving the police more powers to seize dangerous weapons."