Camera footage caught the moment shameless crooks swiped wine from a Sainsbury's store - in the second raid on the shop less than two weeks.

The hooded thieves loaded bottle after bottle of wine into their Ikea bag-for-life as they crouched down in the aisle near the fridges to loot the booze.

Workers helplessly watched on, as shocked shoppers filmed on their mobile phones.

The pair then calmly walked out without their faces covered and as they left the store an onlooker who was recording said 'smile you're on camera'.

The incident took place at Sainsbury's, on Wapping Lane, east London, yesterday afternoon.

Colin Lingham a customer at the shop said: 'They Don't even cover their faces. As they know it won't matter. This has got to stop.'

The theft comes after criminals targeted the same supermarket only two weeks earlier.

On January 5 thieves emptied boxes of chocolate, including Daily Milk, Twirls, Twix and Kinder Buenos, into bags.

Sainsbury's have reported the first incident to police who are currently investigating.

One local, Theresa, a retired nurse said: 'I'm going to try that tomorrow. And see how far I get.'

Office of National Statistics figures reveal there were 469,788 incidents of shoplifting in England and Wales last year - a rise of 28 per cent on 2023.

There has been a recent surge across London from middle-class shoplifters, with upmarket stores being frequent targets.

Experts suggest a combination of financial pressures and a sense of entitlement may drive some of these incidents.

Richard Fowler, who manages security at upmarket health food brand Planet Organic, said shoplifting at the Chiswick branch takes place 'every day' - and that 'posh totty' types are part of the problem.

He claimed the brand loses a staggering £900,000 a year as a result of stealing. The chain has nine stores across London and claims all the products it sells are organic.

Metropolitan Police figures show that 57,453 offences were reported across London last year – an increase from 38,157 in 2022.

Emmeline Taylor, professor of criminology at City University, told the BBC: 'It's widely known that the police have been overstretched and under-resourced for over a decade.

'It is not just about the number of police that have been taken off the streets, it's also the operational approach and the strategy.'

Shoplifting has risen to the highest level on record, new data revealed in April this year.

Retail bosses accused ministers of allowing shoplifting to become effectively decriminalised, with many police forces failing to attend the majority of reports and failing to gather any evidence when they do.

Less than 40 per cent of shoplifting reports were attended by the Met between April 2022 and April 2023, figures revealed.

Separate data suggests a similar - and often worse - situation in the rest of the country, with forces sending out an officer for just one in five calls related to shoplifting.

A national police unit, Operation Opal, was set up six months ago to tackle shoplifting across Britain and so far has identified more than 20 gangs and 200 criminals fuelling the epidemic.

Police chiefs believe that Opal is finally turning the tide on shoplifting, which is costing retailers £1.8 billion per year.

Opal is believed to have uncovered 23 prolific gangs who have stolen more than £3.5 million of goods in less than six months. 

But thanks to painstaking reviews of CCTV footage and other evidence gathered by detectives, about 70 members from the 23 crime groups have been arrested.

Officers have also created profiles of 200 shoplifters who are either persistent thieves or possible members of more gangs. 

Sources have revealed that Opal’s investigations have led to more than 21 seizures of stolen goods, as well as vehicles used for thefts. 

A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: 'An incident took place at our Wapping Lane Local store yesterday and we are supporting the police with their investigation.'

A spokesman for the Met Police told MailOnline: 'Police were called at 10.22pm on Thursday, 16 January to a shop in Wapping Lane, E1 following reports of a theft.

'The suspect entered the store and stole items including food produce.

'The investigation remains ongoing.'