Category Archives: Shoplifting

The Surrey Police website reports that a man has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to a seven-month bulk shoplifting spree across the country.

John Ward targeted Boots, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Co-op stores across Surrey, Thames Valley, Kent, London, Cleveland, Cheshire and Durham.

According to the This Is Money website, the Co-op Group suffered £80 million in losses from shoplifting across its food business in 2024.

The group, which trades from over 2,300 food stores across Britain, has been one of the worst hit retailers with a marked increase in thefts in recent years.

The BBC News website reports that Devon and Cornwall Police have been working with CCTV control centres and business groups to coordinate responses to offenders who target stores on the high street.

By having officers in both locations they were better placed to react to shoplifting reports.

The BBC News website reports that arrests for shop thefts have more than doubled in Surrey over the past year.

The Surrey police force said reports of retail crime are increasing and it has launched a consultation asking business owners and residents how authorities can better combat the problem.

The BBC News website reports that a man toured the country to steal more than £5,000 of chocolate, sweets and other items from supermarkets.

Ionut Rova, jailed for ten weeks, shoplifted from nine Tesco stores and an Aldi between August 2024 and January 2025.

As reported on the Startups website, a new Bill designed to clamp down on retail crime amid an alarming rise in shop thefts, has been introduced by the government.

One of the key changes for small retailers is the announcement of stricter penalties for the shoplifting of items worth under £200.