Britain is facing an unprecedented wave of shoplifting, with official statistics revealing a staggering number of offences are being closed by police without a suspect ever being identified.
Record Number of Cases Shelved
Startling new analysis, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, shows that in the 2024-25 period, police forces closed a total of 295,589 shoplifting cases without finding a suspect. This equates to an average of 810 offences going unsolved every single day, or 34 each hour. The scale of the problem has grown dramatically, with the number of investigations closed without a suspect identified soaring by 65 per cent compared to five years ago.
Separate data from the Office for National Statistics confirms the severity of the crisis. Between April 2024 and March 2025, police recorded 530,643 shoplifting offences across England and Wales – a rate of approximately one theft every minute. Overall levels of shoplifting have doubled since the pandemic and have risen by 20 per cent since the current government took office.
Low Charge Rates and Impact on Staff
The chances of a shoplifter facing consequences appear slim. In the latest year, fewer than one in five cases (just 19 per cent) resulted in a suspect being charged or summoned. In contrast, a majority of cases (55 per cent) were terminated with no suspect ever identified.
This failure to solve crimes is having a direct and dangerous impact on retail workers. A survey of 3,000 members conducted by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) last month painted a grim picture: 71 per cent of staff reported verbal abuse, 48 per cent had been threatened, and 9 per cent were physically assaulted.
Liberal Democrat MP and former retail worker Josh Reynolds commented on the human cost, stating: "As a result of so many shoplifting cases being left unsolved, staff are being forced to intervene, even putting themselves in danger to protect their businesses."
Calls for Action and Government Response
In response to the epidemic, the Liberal Democrats are urging the government to fund a new scheme. They propose grants of up to £6,500 for small independent convenience stores to install CCTV systems, aiming to deter thieves and provide crucial evidence for police.
Lib Dem business spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: "The shoplifting epidemic is a profound threat to our local businesses, our high streets and our economy. With over 800 offences going unpunished every single day, businesses are haemorrhaging money, driving up costs for consumers and even forcing businesses to shut their doors for good."
The government has pointed to its forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, which will create a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, carrying a maximum penalty of six months in prison. A Home Office spokesman also highlighted the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, pledging: "We are strengthening the connections between the police and local communities. Our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will see 3,000 additional officers on the beat by spring next year."
However, with hundreds of thousands of thefts effectively written off annually, retailers and opposition parties argue that more immediate and tangible support is needed to stem the tide of crime sweeping the nation's shops.
