Police ‘provide reassurance’ in Sussex town ranked as worst place for shoplifting in the UK
The police have been out and about in Worthing to ‘offer advice, reassurance and support’ after ‘incidents of shoplifting’.
This comes after a new study revealed that West Sussex seaside town is the worst place for shoplifting in the UK.
The study, conducted by Accu Components, analysed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), and the Scottish government.
Worthing ranked first on the list with the highest shoplifting rates in the UK, with 23.2 incidents per 1,000 residents. Crawley in West Sussex also featured – ranking sixth with 16.6 incidents per 1,000 residents.
In light of this, the police reported on social media on Wednesday afternoon (February 19) that officers were ‘out and about in Worthing Town Centre’.
The Adur and Worthing Police post read: “Officers spoke with members of the public, as well as retailers who have been experiencing incidents of shoplifting to offer advice, and provide reassurance and support.
“You can report online or via 101. In an emergency call 999.”
The study found that many of the worst-hit areas are ‘not the country’s largest urban centres’ but ‘rather mid-sized cities and towns’.
For Worthing, the study read: “Retailers in this Sussex town are facing a growing issue with theft, making it the worst place for shoplifting in the UK.”
For Crawley, it added: “This commuter town near London isn’t just dealing with airport traffic – shoplifting is on the rise.”
This comes after retail trade union Usdaw revealed it is is worried about the impact of shoplifting on staff, after Sussex and Surrey constabulary areas recorded another increase.
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “Residents and business owners in Sussex know that I take shop theft extremely seriously and that I have been the driving force behind the improving police response, both locally and nationally.
“I have always maintained that you cannot tackle what you cannot measure which is why I have worked consistently with local businesses to make it far easier for them to report crime. It is no coincidence that two towns in Sussex are now in the top ten nationally for reporting shop theft – at last we can truly understand the extent of this crime.
“As a result of the increased number of crimes being reported and the establishment of a dedicated business crime unit within Sussex Police, we are now seeing positive outcomes doubling. This includes apprehending offenders or resolving conflict, which means more prolific offenders are now being stopped from causing further harm and damage.
“I am grateful to Worthing and Crawley businesses for reporting shop theft so consistently and I will continue to work closely with Sussex Police and my Safer Sussex Business Partnership to ensure we continue making residents, business owners and retail staff feel safe in their local high streets.
“We’ve seen huge reporting successes in our county through OneTouch Reporting and DISC and I would like to see this continue county-wide – I urge all residents to continue reporting if you witness or experience shop theft so that our force can have the most accurate intelligence to tackle and stop perpetrators in their tracks.”
Chris Neilson, business crime lead for Sussex Police, said the force ‘absolutely understands’ the financial and personal impact of shoplifting on business owners, employees and the wider community.
He added: “Tackling business crime is a key priority for Sussex Police. We have a dedicated business crime team that works closely with businesses and other partners to prevent, detect and identify offenders who target the hard-working retailers in our county.
“We use a range of powers at our disposal, alongside charges, to reach a satisfactory conclusion for victims. This includes civil orders and community resolutions aimed at managing offenders and bringing about behavioural change.
“Significant investment and engagement has gone towards making reporting as easy as possible, which has naturally seen an increase in the number of reports.
“We investigate whenever there are reasonable lines of enquiry, such as CCTV, vehicles or possible suspects. We prioritise cases if violence has been used, if a person has been detained, if offending is prolific or if it is linked to other incidents.”
New map reveals UK high streets hit hardest by ‘Kamikaze’ shoplifting wave – check your area
As ‘Kamikaze’ shoplifting sweeps Britain, a new crime map has revealed the high streets most plagued by the retail theft ‘epidemic’ – use our interactive map to see how it compares where you live
Shoplifting rates are the highest since records began (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
A new map has revealed the UK high streets hit hardest by a wave of ‘Kamikaze’ shoplifting – as brazen thieves snatch goods in plain sight with little fear of consequences.
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More than 500,000 shoplifting offences were recorded by police in England and Wales in 2024 – a 20% surge on the previous year, and the highest since records began more than 20 years ago. Over half (56%) of retail workers say they’ve witnessed so-called Kamikaze shoplifting – blatant, in-your-face theft – in their workplace, according to research by SafetyCulture.
One in eight (13%) say it happens daily, and over a third (37%) see it weekly. The British Independent Retail Association (Bira) calls it a “tipping point”, warning some offenders now believe they 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.”
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Cost-of-living pressures have added to the shoplifting crisis(Image: Getty Images)
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Adding to the trend, security firms report a “massive increase” in pensioners shoplifting – driven by cost-of-living pressures. “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,” said John Nussbaum of Kingdom Service Group.
The crime map reveals Leeds City Centre as the worst-hit area, with 3,004 shoplifting offences in 2024 – that’s one every three hours. Fitzrovia West & Soho in Westminster followed with 2,430, and Brighton’s North Laine & the Lanes came third with 2,116.Get More of Our News on GoogleSet Daily Mirror as a ‘Preferred Source’ to get quicker access to the news you value.
Also ranking high on the list is Cathays South & Bute Park in Cardiff (1,753), the City of London (1,687), Central Birmingham (1,407), Newcastle City Centre (1,240), Liverpool’s Central & Islington district (1,240), and Stone & Crossways in Dartford (1,229).
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. The figures cover 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.
You can see how retail theft compares near you using our interactive map.
The Shoplifting Epidemic
High streets plagued by retail crime
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Leaflet | © OpenStreetMap contributors
Source: data.police.uk
The news comes after a sacked police officer made a citizen’s arrest of a suspected shoplifter. Lorne Castle’s police officer instincts kicked in when he encountered a youth allegedly fleeing a Bournemouth Nike store with stolen goods on Thursday evening, with photos showing him restraining the teen on the ground. It happened on the same day it was confirmed that Mr Castle would be appealing the decision taken by Dorset Police to sack him for gross misconduct.
Meanwhile a former shoplifter who once stole £3 million worth of goods says Brits now have “a licence to steal” as shoplifting hits record highs. Cullan Mals, 32, used to steal up to £2,000 a day – as much as £14,000 a week – before turning his life around. He says soft sentences made it easy: “People now have a licence to steal and it’s getting even worse with the cost-of-living crisis.”
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Lorne Castles making a citizen’s arrest of a suspected shoplifter (Image: Christopher Amey/BNPS)
Now a podcaster working with a drug recovery charity in Cardiff, he believes tougher penalties are the only solution: “People now have total licence to steal. I think personally, if it’s on an organised level, the sentences need to be harsher because at the end of the day these people know penalties are weak. When you go to an off licence, everything is behind Perspex – it’s a bit dystopian but it works. Big supermarkets should lock up all meat, booze, aftershave, and then just have a guy there whose job it is to unlock the goods for shoppers.”
His comments come as repeat offender Martyn Boyns was arrested and charged with nine counts of shop theft and one of fraud in Penzance and Newlyn. The £1,200 haul included nappies, perfume, meat, and booze. Penzance Police, who announced the arrest on Facebook, said officers had been “working tirelessly” to gather evidence. Boyns has now been banned from several shops and four streets in the town.
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One former shoplifter claimed Brits now have ‘a licence to steal'(Image: Getty Images)
Another former shoplifter, Keeley Knowles – once known as “Birmingham’s most prolific” – stole thousands of pounds’ worth of goods to fund her heroin addiction. After 28 prison stints, she’s now 18 months clean and working to inspire recovery. She credits her turnaround to West Midlands Police’s Offending to Recovery programme, which began in Erdington in 2018 and is now expanding to Coventry, Dudley, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. The scheme was developed after research showed 70% of shop theft was linked to heroin and crack addiction.
Meanwhile in Edinburgh, shopkeeper Majid Mohamed says his mobile phone accessories and repair shop is regularly targeted – especially during peak tourist seasons.
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“It depends on the time of year really how bad shoplifting is, it’s particularly bad at Christmas and New Year and of course The Fringe, the busy times for the city,” he said. “We have CCTV but when they are in groups they provide cover for each other. Sometimes items are stolen without us even noticing until too late. And even though we have the cameras the thieves don’t seem to care, it’s a ‘what are you going to do’ kind of attitude, pretty intimidating.”
Jeff Moody, Bira’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “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. 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.
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“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. 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.”
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.
