Over 15,000 shoplifting offences take place in Nottinghamshire as levels reach an all-time high

Over 15,000 shoplifting offences have taken place in Nottinghamshire over the past year, yet only around 3,300 cases have produced a charge or summons, a new investigation has revealed.

Figures obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK found that Nottinghamshire Police has logged 56,152 shoplifting offences in the area since April 2019, with figures rising dramatically since 2023.

The data comes in light of the news that shoplifting in England and Wales has risen to a new 20-year high after the Office for National Statistics revealed that offences have been up 30 per cent in the previous 12 months.

During this time, retail bosses have accused ministers of allowing shoplifting to effectively become decriminalised, with large disparities between annual offences and resulting prosecutions, as well as a large number of offences not being reported.

From 2019 to 2020, there were 10,497 shoplifting offences in Nottinghamshire, which was the third-highest total over the past five years.

In 2020-2021, this number dropped to the lowest number of this period, which was 7,911 offences.

A year later, this number increased by 2,041 offences to 9952, and this was caused by a year of restrictions and lockdowns during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As these restrictions were lifted, the amount of shoplifting offences began to rise again as, in 2022-23, the number increased to 12,430.

Over the past year, the county has experienced a huge increase in the number of shoplifting offences, with the number rising to 15,362 in 2023-24, which is in line with the general increase of offences across the UK.

Despite these record levels of offences, research conducted by The Times suggested that police officers have almost ceased punishing shoplifters.

One of the suggested driving factors behind the increase in shoplifting offences is said to be the cost of living crisis that the UK has experienced over recent years.

Personal Injury Claims UK also obtained figures on how many shoplifting offences led to a solved outcome, such as a charge or summons.

Although the number of offences is on the rise, the number of charges and summons has stayed between the 1,500 to 3,500 mark, meaning that only around 15 to 20 per cent of shoplifting offences in Essex produce a solved outcome.

In 2019-20, the number of solved outcomes stood at 2,340, which meant that only 22 per cent of shoplifting offences resulted in a prosecution.

The next two years saw a decrease to 1,368 prosecutions, resulting from fewer offences taking place over that period.

Yet as Covid-19 restrictions lifted and the cost-of-living crisis ensued, the number of charges and summons began to increase again, rising to 3,376 in 2023-24.

Some retailers, such as the Co-op and John Lewis, have reported record levels of retail crime, with incidents of abuse, violence, and anti-social behaviour accompanying the surge in theft.

The cost to businesses is substantial, with theft losses doubling in the past year to £1.8 billion and an additional £1.2 billion spent on anti-crime measures, which is up from £950m the year before.

Personal Injury Claims UK offers free advice and support to those who may have been injured at work while confronting a shoplifter.

They operate a 24-hour helpline and claim online form, which you can access on their website.