Thieves almost certain to avoid jail as Home Office data reveals extent of Britain’s shoplifting epidemic

The figures come as concern grows over retail crime, with stores hit by around three thefts every minute in the year to March 2025.

Of nearly 530,000 shoplifting cases reported and investigated, most were closed without any suspect being identified.

Only 43,477 people were sentenced for shoplifting offences during the period examined, with fewer than two per cent handed custodial terms exceeding 12 months.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the numbers as wholly inadequate, saying: "These meagre figures are just not good enough.

"Police numbers are falling under Labour, and now they plan to ban prison sentences under a year meaning no one will go to jail for shoplifting at all and it will be open season for thieves."

The Conservative frontbencher pointed to a rise in retail theft of more than 10 per cent under the current government, reaching unprecedented levels.

Mr Philp called for an additional 10,000 officers deployed to crime hotspots alongside expanded use of live facial recognition technology to apprehend repeat offenders.

Proposed sentencing reforms currently before Parliament would create a presumption against custodial terms under twelve months, instead mandating tougher community punishments monitored by electronic tagging.

Under the changes, most shoplifters who would currently receive prison sentences could avoid jail entirely.

Professor Emmeline Taylor, criminologist at City St George’s, University of London, warned the widening range of offenders - from opportunistic middle-class thieves to organised criminal networks - reflects a widespread belief that shoplifting carries "no consequences."

Research from the British Retail Consortium estimates 20 million shoplifting incidents occur each year, suggesting barely three per cent are ever reported to police.

"That means only two per cent of three per cent of offences are resulting in prison sentences," said Prof Taylor, who sits on the National Retail Crime Steering Group alongside Home Office officials, police representatives and retail leaders.

"It's happy days if you are an offender. We used to have a social and moral sanction for shoplifting but even that seems to have disappeared.

"It's no longer seen as the mortifying crime that it was. It's something that people are even bragging about."

A Government spokesman insisted ministers remain "determined" to tackle what he called "unacceptable" levels of retail theft.

"We are seeing real progress. Charges for shop theft are up 25 per cent, showing this crime is finally being taken seriously, and the sharp increases seen in previous years slowed in the year ending June 2025," he said.

The spokesman confirmed an additional 3,000 neighbourhood officers would be patrolling streets by spring, while a Winter of Action initiative targets shoplifting and antisocial behaviour during the busy retail period.

Ministers are also scrapping rules that treated theft of goods valued at £200 or less as a summary-only offence, enabling such cases to proceed to Crown Court where judges can impose harsher penalties.

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