Monthly Archives: December 2019

The BBC News website reports that shoplifting is on the rise across Northern Ireland, including a 12% increase in Belfast.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it believed there was a link between increasing retail crime and a rise in the use of illegal drugs.

According to the Plymouth Herald website, a convenience store in the middle of Torquay has taken a dramatic stand against shoplifters.

One sign includes a stark warning: “We will happily torture and beat you if we catch you shoplifting or even attempting to shoplift in our store.”

The Mail Online website reports that a woman dubbed the ‘Mary Poppins of Matalan’ was caught pulling a stream of allegedly shoplifted clothes from her handbag.

In a video filmed by a passer-by, the woman was also seen to have a hidden compartment in her skirt outside the Matalan branch at Strood Retail Park in Kent.

According to an article on the BDaily website, almost half of UK employers have fallen foul of degree fraud, yet many do not take steps to safeguard their business.

A recent survey found that 49% of large businesses and 48% of SMEs have encountered a candidate who had lied about their degree qualifications.

The Northern Echo website reports that a serial shoplifter has been jailed for more than 20 months to give shop owners a ‘rest from her activities’.

Joanne Swift stuffed stolen goods up her jumper and filled baskets full of meat, make-up and drinks before leaving without paying from various stores, including McColl’s, Lidl and TK Maxx.

Scotland’s The National website reports that its own journalists uncovered a website that offered to sell fake degrees from The University of West Scotland [UWS].

A university spokesperson said: “We take this matter extremely seriously and we know other higher education institutions are facing the same issue.”