Just 10 prolific thieves were behind more than 1,200 shoplifting crimes in Greater Manchester last year, new figures reveal. Analysis of police data shows the two most active shoplifters alone were linked to nearly 350 thefts.
Shoplifting fell by 12% in Greater Manchester in the year ending March 2026, down from a record 22,000 offences the previous year to 19,000. However, despite the drop, it remains the second-highest annual total on record.
A handful of repeat offenders
Figures obtained under a Freedom of Information request from the BBC reveal around one in 14 shoplifting offences recorded across Greater Manchester - 1,275 crimes in total - were linked to just 10 known serial offenders. The region's worst shoplifter, who has not been named, was linked to 175 thefts, while the second-most active thief, also unidentified, was linked to another 173 crimes.
Retailers warn that some thieves are stealing to order, linked to organised crime. Laura Slattery-Vickers, boss of Whitefield chocolate empire Slattery, described the experience as 'soul-destroying'. Over the course of just 10 days last June one 'professional' shoplifter made off with more than £300 in stock, which was later flogged in local pubs, she said.
Named offenders and court actions
While not as prolific, some offenders have been identified. In May last year Anthony John Englishby, 46, was given a suspended prison sentence and banned from every Co-op store in England and Wales after he repeatedly targeted two of the chain's stores in Heald Green, Stockport, GMP said.
A month earlier police in Rochdale named five people who had been slapped with criminal behaviour orders, banning them from large parts of the town centre and certain shops as part of a crackdown on begging and shoplifting. Speaking at the time Inspector Meena Yasin said: "We understand the frustrations that businesses have when it comes to shoplifters and just how much it impacts their livelihoods, and I want to reassure those affected that we stand firmly alongside them."
In January this year pram-pushing perfume thief Agita Cica was banned from every single John Lewis store in the country after she was caught on CCTV swiping luxury fragrances worth £2,400 during four separate visits to the department store's Cheadle branch. Speaking after Cica, 27, was given 120 hours unpaid work after admitting four counts of theft, Pc Kenneally, from the Stockport District Investigation Unit, said: "Cica's offending was not opportunistic - it was deliberate, organised and persistent."
Charge rates and local impact
Police were far more likely to charge suspects when dealing with serial offenders. A suspect was charged in nearly six out of 10 cases (57%) linked to the top 10 thieves. That is double the overall charge rate for shoplifting across Greater Manchester, which stands at 28%. In more than half of all shoplifting investigations (51%), police failed to identify any suspect.
Manchester recorded the highest volume of shoplifting in the area, with 4,861 offences, accounting for one in four of all crimes across Greater Manchester (25%). Trafford saw the next highest number of crimes (2,055), followed closely by Stockport (2,015). When population size is taken into account, Trafford suffered the highest shoplifting crime rate in Greater Manchester, with the equivalent of nearly nine offences (8.6) for every 1,000 residents. Manchester recorded 8.2 crimes per 1,000 residents, and Stockport 6.6.
In April last year shoppers and businesses in the Trafford suburb of Urmston were being terrorised by gangs of youths, who were repeatedly stealing from local stores. Speaking at the time Adam O'Mahoney, sales assistant at E Cig vape shop, said: "It's normally a group of lads that come. They're always on bikes. They're either in Home Bargains, or they're trying to steal from Sainsbury's, or having arguments, or trying to get a buzz off the securities to chase them. We've had incidents where they've come in here, tried taking stuff off the cabinets and run out."
Retailers and police respond
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira (the British Independent Retailers Association), said: "These figures confirm what our members tell us, that a small number of prolific offenders are responsible for a disproportionate amount of the theft on our high streets. For an independent retailer, a repeat offender walking in week after week is not a statistic. It is lost stock, lost profit and staff who are increasingly afraid to challenge them. Even with the recent fall, more than 500,000 offences is still far too many, and many shopkeepers have stopped reporting theft because they don't believe anything will be done."
He added: "Stealing to order is part of the picture, with thieves targeting high value goods that can be sold on quickly, and there are clear links to organised groups and drug dependency. Tackling it needs a proper focus on repeat offenders, so that persistent thieves are dealt with rather than being repeatedly let off, alongside police forces responding when retailers report a crime. Until that happens, independent retailers will continue to shoulder the cost."
Policing minister Sarah Jones said shoplifting was a 'pernicious crime that for too long has gone unpunished'. She added: "They need to know that they are going to be punished for what they have done."
A spokesperson for GMP said: "Tackling retail crime remains a key focus for Greater Manchester Police, particularly in Manchester city centre, which is one of the region's busiest retail areas. We understand the impact shoplifting and associated crime can have on businesses, staff and the wider community."
The spokesperson added: "On our City of Manchester Central district, we hold monthly Business Crime Reduction Partnership meetings with partners and retailers across the city. These meetings allow us to share intelligence, identify emerging issues and work together on targeted activity and crime prevention. We also provide training and guidance to businesses around crime reporting, prevention and the use of civil orders, helping ensure we have a coordinated approach to tackling those causing the most harm. Retail crime is not an issue policing can tackle alone. By working closely with businesses, partners and our communities, we can continue to take robust action against offenders, strengthen prevention and improve positive outcomes across Greater Manchester."
