Supermarket puts chicken and £2 chocolate bars in anti-shoplifting cases

A supermarket has taken drastic measures to combat shoplifting after placing low-priced chicken and chocolate bars in security boxes.

The Co-op in Cambridge has implemented GPS-protected cases on items as cheap as £2.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shoplifting offences increased by 37% in 2023 to 430,104, the highest figure since current police recordings began in 2003.

As a result, the Co-op in Milton Road is now focused on safeguarding even its most affordable products.

Photos show Cadbury's chocolate bars safely protected by the boxes, whilst £3 blocks of cheese are also seen in cases.

Bottles of fabric softener and packs of chicken thighs have also been locked up - retailing at just £2 and £4.25, respectively.

The images also show four rows of various types of meat - including steaks and sausages - in cases to deter shoplifters.

The Cambridge shop has additionally securely protected multiple shelves of baby formula, coffee and dishwasher tablets.

The cases come with a caution warning shoppers they will need to be removed at checkout before leaving the store, and shoplifters will be prosecuted.

On Tuesday, it emerged a Tesco store in London had also placed £2 chocolate, including Cadbury's Dairy Milk, in security boxes to thwart thieves.

The London & UK Street News on X account (formerly Twitter) shared a photo of the chocolate in the protective casing.

Figures released in April showed the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales had risen to the highest level in 20 years.

Of the 408,690 police-recorded shoplifting offences in England and Wales in 2023 that were assigned an outcome, 16% (65,521) were charged or summonsed while 58% (238,794) of the investigations were closed with no suspect identified, according to analysis of Home Office data.

This compares with 15% and 55% respectively in 2022.

Experts have linked rising levels of shoplifting to the cost of living crisis, which has seen the cost of basic food stuffs rise, along with use of food banks.

One police expert told Sky News earlier this year that meat, dairy and butter are among the most stolen items, due to rising prices and high resale value.

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What happens if you get caught shoplifting?

Shoplifting refers to taking goods from a shop without paying for them first.

If caught shoplifting in England and Wales, a person will either will be charged with theft under section 1 of the Theft Act 1986; or, if the goods stolen are worth less than £200, for low-value shoplifting under section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act.

In Northern Ireland, the law regarding shoplifting is outlined in the Theft Act (Northern Ireland) 1969.

Currently, shoplifting does not automatically lead to time in prison. If the goods are worth less than £200, the maximum sentence is six months in prison, but this type of offence is usually dealt with by issuing a postal fine.

Anything over £200 could lead to a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

However, the actual sentence depends on the value of the goods stolen and whether the offender has any previous convictions.

In addition to criminal penalties, shoplifters may also face civil penalties, such as being banned from the store or having to pay compensation to the store for any damage or loss caused.

The 2021 Protection of Workers Act is an act of the Scottish Parliament to create an offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing retail workers, and to provide for a statutory aggravation of that offence where the retail worker is enforcing a statutory age restriction.

This applies in Scotland only, and does not apply in the rest of the UK.

Read more

• Inside Britain’s ‘out of control’ shoplifting crisis (Independent)

• Cadbury's £1.50 chocolates kept in security boxes leave shoppers bemused(Yahoo)

• Supermarket cracks down on middle-class shoplifting after taking £70m hit (Telegraph)