Shoplifting offences rise to highest level on record trends now By Rory Tingle, Home Affairs Correspondent For Mailonline Published: 09:37 BST, 25 April 2024 | Updated: 09:44 BST, 25 April 2024 Viewcomments Shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales have risen to the highest level on record, new data revealed today. A total of 430,104 offences were recorded in the year to December 2023, up 37% from 315,040 in the previous 12 months. This is the highest figure since current police recording practices began in the year ending March 2003. according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The number of offences involving theft from the person stood at 125,563 in 2023, up 18% from 106,606 in 2022, and is the highest level since 2004 (137,154). This is the moment two shoplifters brazenly steal products from a Boots store just yards from a police station - as helpless staff watch on The pair can be seen chucking products from the shelves into big black sports bags at the store on Station Road, Chingford Commenting on the latest crime figures for England and Wales, Nick Stripe of the Office for National Statistics said: 'In the past 12 months, police recorded crime shows notable increases in robbery, theft from the person and shoplifting. 'The latter has risen by more than 100,000 offences, while the police have been dealing with the highest levels of theft from the person offences recorded in two decades. 'While levels of headline crime measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales remain relatively stable, there are variations when looking at individual crime types. 'The survey indicates that incidents of fraud and criminal damage are both decreasing, but computer misuse has been on the rise.' This week shoppers were left stunned after they spotted a £2 chocolate bar locked inside a security box in a Co-op supermarket in Codsall, Staffordshire. Co-op isn't the only chain resorting to extreme measures to combat thieves, with a Tesco branch in Theydon Bois, Essex, even putting security tags on shopping baskets due to a rise in the number of people helping themselves to 'five-finger discounts'. Shopper James Beach, 45, was surprised to see the security measure in place during a recent trip to the store. This security-protected bar of Dairy Milk Wholenut was seen at a Co-op in Codsall in Staffordshire A Tesco branch in Theydon Bois, Essex, has slapped security tags on shopping baskets Another Tesco in Bristol has started checking customers on CCTV before letting them into the store in a 'nightclub-style door policy'. The branch in Southville has also moved their shopping baskets away from the doors to stop thieves piling them up with shopping and running out. It leaves the automatic doors shut until customers are viewed on camera to see if they are suspected or well-known thieves. Staff say the 'nightclub-style door policy' is in operation between 6am and 9am and in the late evenings when no security guards are on duty. Separate figures that emerged earlier this month show convenience store thefts have soared to 5.6million from 1.1million in just one year. Figures from the Association of Convenience Stores also revealed that there were 76,000 acts of violence in small shops last year, up from 41,000. Meanwhile, the British Retail Consortium said thefts cost retailers £1.8billion in 2022-23, up from £953million the previous year. Share or comment on this article: Shoplifting offences rise to highest level on record All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility