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As reported on the Bedford Independent website, the latest Retail Crime Survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed that the total cost from crime and crime prevention has surged to £2.2 billion, an increase of 16% from the previous year.

The survey also flags up the dramatic impact of violence and abuse against retail workers, which has risen to 424 each day.

The Kidderminster Shuttle website reports that a woman who stole £64,000 from her employer was labelled a “leech” by a judge but – reluctantly – didn’t hand down a jail term.

Amanda Clarke made around 80 bank transfers to herself from Rowan Steels’ company account between 2015 and 2019, whilst working there as an accounts manager.

Grimsby’s most notorious shoplifter is behind bars yet again, according to the Grimsby Live website.

Terence Wood, who has been jailed regularly and nearly always reverts to crime on his release, stole gin from a hotel and meat from Asda in February.

The Nottinghamshire Live website reports that a prolific shoplifter who stole luxury handbags to fund a lavish lifestyle is to have £37,000 of her personal possessions sold online.

Police will be selling off Sophie Ingram’s designer shoes, clothing and other valuables on eBay, after a judge ordered her to hand over the goods – or face an extra year in prison.

According to the Chester Standard website, two men and a woman stole £7,500 worth of booze from supermarkets across Chester and Northwich.

Elena Marin, Florin Marin and Marian Mitica – all jailed for nine months – stole the alcohol during a shoplifting spree in branches of Waitrose and Tesco.

According to the Lancashire Telegraph website, a Romanian shoplifter stole 17 boxes of Gaviscon and 34 boxes of Fixodent to send to his parents, because the products were expensive in his home country.

Adrian Mihai was in Blackburn looking for work but took the opportunity to steal from Morrisons.