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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Joanna Partridge

Shoplifting offences in England and Wales at highest level on record, ONS figures show

op Co England Wales
Woman putting a bottle of wine in her bag in a supermarket
One survey of shop workers found that more than a third wanted to leave their jobs or the retail industry because of an increase in violence and abuse. Photograph: Vitalij Chalupnik/Alamy

Shoplifting offences reported by police in England and Wales have risen to a fresh 20-year high, according to official figures, as retailers continue to warn about violence against shop workers.

A total of 469,788 offences were logged by police forces in the year to June 2024, a 29% increase compared with the 365,173 recorded in the previous 12-month period.

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