Yahoo News Shoplifting rises in almost every part of the Humber - except North East Lincolnshire
Shoplifting is on the rise across almost all of the Humber region, according to Government figures which have prompted calls to do more to protect staff and customers.
Offences rose by 38 per cent in the East Riding, 23 in Hull, 19 in North Lincolnshire - but fell by 3 per cent in North East Lincolnshire. John Halliday, of the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), said figures for 2022-3 painted a troubling picture while the organisation's research workers had been threatened with knives, needles and hammers.
Humberside Police Superintendent Sharon Philpott said offences left staff feeling scared and the force was working closely with businesses to combat them. It comes as Home Office figures showed there was a 37 per cent rise in shoplifting in England and Wales, from around 315,000 offences in 2022 to a record 430,000 in 2023.
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In the Humber, offences rose from 1,203 offences in the East Riding to 1,660 and they went up from 2,815 to 3,449 in Hull during the same period. Offences rose from 1,052 to 1,250 in North Lincolnshire but fell from 1,509 to 1,462 in North East Lincolnshire.
The figures compare to a 58 per cent rise in shoplifting in York, a 40 per cent rise in Sheffield and a 30 per cent rise in Leeds. Eastbourne in Sussex saw the largest increase in shoplifting in England and Wales, with offences going up by 196 per cent.
It was followed by Mid Sussex, with an increase of 137 per cent and South Derbyshire, 112. Horsham in Sussex, South Tyneside in the North East, Blaby in Leicestershire, and Epsom and Ewell in Surrey all saw rises of 100 per cent or more.
North East Lincolnshire was one of only 12 police community partnership areas in England and Wales where shoplifting fell. Ceredigion saw a 29 per cent drop while offences fell by 21 per cent in Powys and Pembrokeshire , all in Wales.
South Lakeland in Cumbria saw the largest fall in England with 10 per cent. BIRA's research showed more than a third of its member businesses had been verbally abused in their shops. Its research stated: "Incidents of physical abuse remain alarmingly high, with an increase in shopkeepers facing violence, including threats with weapons such as needles, knives, and even instances of hammers being thrown at them."
Around 70 per cent of owners and staff who were physically assaulted did not report it to the police. BIRA has called for immediate and decisive action to combat shoplifting and other retail crimes including with more police presence and better reporting mechanisms and victim support.
The organisation's Marketing Director Mr Halliday said the figures highlighted the significant challenges facing the sector. The marketing director said: "The latest ONS crime figures paint a troubling picture for independent retailers and businesses across the UK.
"Retail crime not only inflicts financial losses but also poses a grave threat to the safety and well-being of shop staff and customers. It's imperative that urgent action is taken to address this concerning trend and ensure the security of both businesses and their employees and customers."
Humberside Police Superintendent Philpott said they were working to educate the retail sector about shoplifting and crime prevention and were encouraging shops to report low level theft. The officer said: "Within our force area, we have seen an increase in shoplifting offences, as have many forces nationally.
“We recognise the impact which these crimes have on those involved, including the business and staff members. Businesses suffer a financial loss, and many staff members have reported feeling scared because of shoplifting offences they have encountered.
"As a force, we have a range of tactics in place to help us tackle shoplifting offences. This includes high visibility patrols within key areas, applying for criminal behaviour orders to prevent re-offending and having dedicated channels for information sharing around such crimes."
