It comes amid a rise in so-called ‘Kamikaze’ shoplifting, stealing that takes place in plain sight in thieves’ own workplaces.
File photo of shoppers on Brighton’s North Laine. (Image: Getty)
One high street in the southeast was hit saw more shoplifting offences than anywhere else in the region, as a new crime map reveals the areas worst hit by retail theft. Police in England and Wales recorded over 500,000 shoplifting offences last, a massive 20% increase on the previous year and the highest number since records began more than two decades ago.
North Laine & the Lanes in Brighton saw the highest number of crime reports in the south east, with 2,116, and the third highest nationally, Kent Live reports. The bustling tourist spot is described by Visit Briton as a “vibrant, colourful hub of independent restaurants, pubs, cafés, shops and outdoor stalls that are an essential part of Brighton’s gregarious personality”.
The Shoplifting Epidemic
Meanwhile Leeds took the top spot overall, with police recording 3,004 offences of shoplifting in Leeds City Centre, far more than anywhere else in England and Wales. That’s the equivalent of a theft every three hours, or eight per day—and that only includes crimes that are spotted. You can enter your postcode below to find the latest statistics for your area:
Tourism and travel hub Fitzrovia West & Soho, in the heart of Westminster, saw the second highest number of shoplifting crimes (2,430).
It comes amid reports from retail workers that shoplifters become more brazen in their attempts to steal.
More than one in two retail workers (56%) say they have witnessed so-called “Kamikaze” shoplifting—thefts that take place in plain sight—in their workplaces.
Around one in eight (13%) say it is a daily occurrence, while more than a third (37%) see it happening at least once a week, according to research from workplace operations and improvement platform SafetyCulture.
Jeff Moody, Chief Commercial Officer of The British Independent Retail Association (Bira) said: “The latest ONS figures showing a 20% increase in shoplifting to a record 500,000 crime reports confirm what our members have been telling us for months—retail crime is spiralling out of control, and independent retailers are bearing the brunt of it.
“The fact that shoplifting has reached this unprecedented level is frankly alarming, but it’s the brazen nature of these crimes that’s particularly concerning.
“This so-called ‘kamikaze’ shoplifting – where thieves steal in plain sight with complete impunity – is absolutely a phenomenon we’re seeing reported by our members. Our own Bira crime survey, conducted in April, paints an even starker picture for independent retailers specifically – over 80% experienced theft in the past 12 months, with 90% of incidents happening during opening hours.
“What’s particularly troubling is that half of our members are now choosing not to report thefts because they’ve lost faith in getting any meaningful response.
“The harm to retailers goes far beyond the immediate financial loss. Independent businesses operate on wafer-thin margins, and every theft chips away at their ability to invest, grow, and employ people. But there’s also the human cost – our survey shows that nearly 40% of retailers experienced verbal abuse, with many describing aggressive confrontations that leave staff feeling vulnerable and demoralised.
“When criminals can walk into a shop, take what they want in full view of staff and customers, and walk out knowing there will be no consequences, we’ve reached a tipping point. These aren’t just statistics – they represent real people trying to serve their communities, and real businesses that are the backbone of our high streets.
“We need urgent action from police forces to treat retail crime with the seriousness it deserves, and for the courts to send a clear message that this behaviour won’t be tolerated. Our independent retailers deserve better protection than they’re currently receiving.”
At the same time, security firms are reporting a “massive increase in pensioners shoplifting” driven by cost-of-living pressures.
John Nussbaum, director of service for retail for security services provider Kingdom Service, told PA News: “For us over the last 12 months, we’ve got this different level of crime now. We’re now experiencing something different—pensioners, people who don’t normally shoplift.”
Crime figures are available for every one of more than 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales, except areas covered by Greater Manchester Police, as the force has not supplied crime data for the last year. Crime figures are available for neighbourhoods with between 7,000 and 10,000 residents, which the government designates as Middle Super Output Areas (MSOAs).
The statistics do not include crimes reported at train stations, as British Transport Police record them.
Shoplifting was first described as an “epidemic” in 2023 by Dame Sharon White, the chair of John Lewis Partnership, and since then, crime—and the cost to retailers—has spiralled.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said retailers footed an “eye-watering” £4.2 billion bill from crime last year, including £2.2bn lost to shoplifting, and £1.8bn spent on crime prevention measures.
Leeds City Council, and Brighton and Hove City Council have been approached for comment.
Express.co.uk has also reached out to West Yorkshire Police, Sussex Police, and the Metropolitan Police.
