Shoplifting offences recorded by police across England and Wales reached their highest level on record last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In 2023, 430,104 shoplifting offences were recorded, up by more than a third (37%) compared to 2022.

This marks the highest figure of offences since police recording practices began for the year to March 2003.

The ONS said while there has been “little change” in the volume of overall police recorded crimes during the year, there were “notable increases” in shoplifting and robbery offences.

Earlier this month, the government announced plans to invest £55.5m in facial recognition technology over the next four years in a bid to crack down on retail crime.

The investment will include the rollout of bespoke mobile units deployed across high streets to help “catch perpetrators and prevent shoplifting”.

A recent survey by the British Retail Consortium also found the increase in shoplifting offences came alongside increased violence towards store staff.

The BRC has called on candidates to commit to pledges that would support the fight against increasing retail crime ahead of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections next month.

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