Shop staff face 'Christmas crime wave' with more than 650 shoplifting cases unsolved each day

Shop workers are bracing for a "Christmas crime wave" according to an MP's warning, amid revelations that new figures show over 650 shoplifting incidents per day went unresolved in the past year. As of March 2024, House of Commons Library data indicates a closure of 245,500 shoplifting investigations without identifying a suspect, averaging 672 daily—a 38% surge compared to five years prior.

In addition, a mere one in six shoplifting cases led to charges or a court summons over the last year, while 56.4% were dropped due to failure in suspect identification, as reported by City AM.

Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson Lisa Smart commented: "Shop staff are having to deal with a Christmas crime wave as shoplifters act with impunity, with so many crimes being effectively legalised by the previous Conservative government’s shocking neglect."

She proceeded to urge the newly incumbent administration to address the rampant issue, stating, "The new Government needs to get a grip on this shoplifting epidemic, and hard-working shop staff on the frontline need to be reassured that they will not continue to be abandoned."

Smart insisted on immediate action, adding, "That must start with ministers making sure that officers will actually have the time and resources to focus on their local neighbourhoods and keep shop workers safe."

She concluded by highlighting the necessity for police presence in the community: "Until that happens our communities won’t see the proper neighbourhood policing that they deserve."

The data emerges as shoplifting continues to escalate, with official statistics from October revealing a 20-year peak in the offence. A total of 469,788 shoplifting incidents were reported by police forces in the year to June 2024, marking a 29% increase from the 365,173 recorded in the preceding 12 months.

This represents the highest annual figure since records began in the year to March 2003. In November, the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee expressed concerns to policing minister Dame Diana Johnson, stating that shop theft is "seriously underreported and not being tackled properly", which may erode trust in the police and the criminal justice system.