Shoplifting: UK's worst hit areas & cities according to CrimeRate data including Westminster & Middlesbrough

Shoplifting is on the rise with retailers pleading with police and government to do more to tackle the problem.

President of the Federation of Independent Retailers (FIR), Muntazir Dipoti, which has 10,500 members, said 850 incidents of theft or verbal abuse are being recorded across its members every day, and incidents have increased 25 percent in the last year.

The increase in shoplifting is also seeing an increasing number of everyday items being put under lock and key. It’s not unusual to see higher priced items with an alarm attached but recently, shoppers looking to buy groceries are now facing similar security measures - just last week the Co-op on Sprowston Road in Norwich, Norfolk, was forced to put £7.50 extra virgin olive oil under lock and key after a spate of thefts.

Recently the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) chief executive, James Lowman, called on police to do more saying these are not “victimless crimes”, and they must be investigated to “bring the most prolific offenders to justice”.

A coalition made up of ACS, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the British Independent Retail Association, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Federation of Independent Retailers and shopworkers’ union Usdaw, has called for a commitment to tackling unprecedented levels of theft, writing to police and crime commissioners in England and Wales calling on forces to make it easier to pass on evidence and boost efforts to find repeat and violent offenders.

Katy Bourne, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners lead for business and retail crime, said PCCs are working at a national level to improve the police response. She said: “I completely understand the sectors’ frustration and their concerns for their members.

“I’ve seen for myself the fear, the harm and the damage that too many shop staff and retailers are experiencing. From the many businesses I have met it is sadly evident that, too often, the policing response they have received – assuming they got one – is not what they expect.

“However, we also cannot overlook the fact that police forces face a huge daily demand on their finite resources so they will have to prioritise a physical response based on the threat posed to staff and customers and the likelihood of catching up with the offender.”

The increase in individuals stealing from shops comes in amid a cost of living crisis which has seen spiralling food costs - and even as inflation slows, it shows the cost of the weekly shop is still going up. Food prices increased 13.6% in August against the same month last year, although this eased back from 14.9% growth in July.

Also fueling the ‘five-finger discount’ is one of the latest TikTok trends, with content creators showing off their ill-gotten gains and encouraging others to do the same. To get around the platform’s rules, instead of referring to shoplifting or stealing, the videos are being shared using alternative hashtags, including #borrowing, #borrowingideas and #borrowingitems. 

UK shoplifting hotspots

The problem is more rife in certain areas across the country, particularly in more deprived regions hit the hardest by the cost of living crisis. According to the latest figures from the CrimeRate website, which aggregates the latest police force data, the north west came out as one of the areas hardest hit by shop thefts.

During 2022, police received 295,917 crime reports about shoplifting, an increase of 24% from 2021. The cities worst affected by shoplifting are Westminster, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham, with crime rates of 14, 12, and 12 per 1,000 residents respectively. The most dangerous region for shoplifting is Nottinghamshire, which recorded a shoplifting rate of nine offences per 1,000 people in 2022.

The second most dangerous area for shoplifting is South Glamorgan, with a crime rate of nine, followed by Bristol in third, with a shoplifting rate of eight per 1,000 residents.

Worst towns & cities for Shoplifting

These are the UK’s towns and cities worst hit by shoplifting, including the number offences per 1,000 people:

1. Westminster - 13.93
2. Middlesbrough - 12.42
3. Nottingham - 12.28
4. Leeds - 11.99
5. Cardiff - 10.90
6. Kingston upon Hull - 10.76
7. Brighton and Hove - 9.45
8. Peterborough - 8.64
9. Norwich - 8.64
10. Belfast City - 8.52

Worst council areas & counties for Shoplifting

These are the UK’s council areas and counties worst hit by shoplifting, including the number offences per 1,000 people:

1. Nottinghamshire - 9.12
2. South Glamorgan - 8.65
3. Bristol - 7.78
4. Durham - 7.64
5. West Yorkshire - 7.40
6. Lincolnshire - 7.13
7. East Riding of Yorkshire - 7.09
8. Clwyd - 6.61
9. Tyne & Wear - 6.41
10. South Yorkshire - 6.26

The areas in England and Wales least affected by shoplifting are Harrow, which had a crime rate of 2.4 in 2022, followed by Hackney and Wandsworth in second and third place, with crime rates per 1,000 residents of 2.8 and 2.9 respectively.