Brazen thieves target store repeatedly, with one incident involving an axe. Staff fear for their safety.
Store owners report scary stuff like axe attacks and nasty abuse. One shop even had pictures of alleged shoplifters, though it’s unclear if police charged anyone. A gas station gets robbed weekly, and thieves tell staff they can’t be touched, claiming stealing is their right. It’s pretty wild.
A manager in northeast England spoke anonymously, saying shoplifters run wild, and staff can’t stop them. Once, thieves just walked out with items. The manager also said that police response is often slow, making them feel unsupported.
Police ask for information about a January 29 incident, and the reference number is 012293Q/25. Last summer, a robber threatened a cashier with an axe, hitting the till and leaving a mark; he stole about £100. Police took six hours to arrive.
Police confirmed the axe attack, noting a man entered with a blade. He took a drink and then demanded cash. He was caught soon after, and Joseph Freer, 28, was charged with robbery and weapon possession and is in custody now.
Police also confirmed another incident at the gas station, which also involved thieves saying staff couldn’t touch them. A man and woman entered the store, grabbed items, and tried to leave. Staff confronted them, and they threatened staff before leaving without paying; police are investigating and you can call 101 with information.
Despite police investigations, the shopkeeper feels hopeless, adding that the store gets robbed about once a week. Some small thefts, like wine bottles, go unreported because they don’t feel contacting police is worth it. As the shopkeeper said, nothing happens.
Shoplifting is indeed rising in the UK, according to recent reports. Brazen thefts happen openly now, and people don’t even seem to care. From September 2023 to 2024, retail losses totaled £2 billion with reported incidents rising to 20.4 million, according to data from the BRC.
There’s some disagreement about these specific numbers, as the BRC thinks the ONS underestimates the problem. The BRC says retail violence rose 50%, which is over 2,000 incidents daily, meaning there are about 55,000 shoplifting incidents a day. ONS data showed reported shoplifting rose 23%, but the BRC thinks this is a very low figure.
A BRC spokesperson thinks shoplifting is underestimated, arguing that their numbers are not accurate. They explain that official stats suggest around 1.5 incidents per shop yearly; any shopkeeper would call that low.
Cops in London recently caught a shoplifter at a Co-Op store and were caught red-handed. A police inspector said they target crime that matters, noting that shoplifting impacts businesses. Shoplifting also fuels other crime, and the police arrested many shoplifters.