The number of children caught in possession of stolen goods in Scotland has almost doubled in the space of four years. Business owners have reported a rising threat of "untouchable" child shoplifters, saying perpetrators are getting younger and thefts more frequent.
One Glasgow city centre store has been repeatedly targeted by violent, masked gangs of up to 20 kids in recent months, who take what they want and attack staff. Shopkeepers say they are "powerless" to tackle the problem, which goes largely unpunished by police, with many instead resorting to shaming culprits on social media.
Shop Worker Confronts Brazen Thief
In August this year, a shop owner confronted a brazen thief "pocketing items" from the shelves of his East Lothian store. CCTV cameras caught the man swiping goods, appearing to put them in a plastic bag and his pockets while at the Longniddry Village Shop.
Shop owner Hamish confronted the man during the incident at around 2.40pm on Sunday, August 23. He described the incident as a "distressing experience" as the would-be thief allegedly became "aggressive". In CCTV footage shared by the Kitchener Crescent store, a man could be seen removing goods from the shelves and placing them into a plastic bag. After moving around the store, he places other items in his pockets before staff approach him.
Hamish has now shared the footage in the hopes of warning other local businesses. He told our sister title Edinburgh Live: "The individual entered the shop, took goods without paying and became aggressive when challenged. He attempted to assault staff, however was unsuccessful because his speed was as slow as his thieving skills and he was thwarted." It is understood that no arrests have yet been made in connection.
Youth Caught on Camera Stealing Vapes
In June 2025, a brazen youth was captured on CCTV stealing a box of vapes from a shop in West Lothian. Police launched a probe after the robbery happened at Broxburn Mini Market on East Main Street at around 9pm on June 30.
In the footage, a teenage male in grey shorts with a black and grey hooded top can be seen entering the store and scoping the surroundings. Noticing there is no one in his direct vicinity, he appears to duck down and grab a box of vapes off the back wall from behind the till. He then quickly makes off from the scene.
The footage was uploaded to social media by furious bosses at the shop. In a post, they said: "This boy just came in now, he steals a full box of vapes, he apparently looks under 18. If anyone knows his name please inbox us." Police confirmed on Friday, October 16, that all available lines of enquiry are complete. A Police Scotland spokesperson said that any new information "will be assessed".
Gang of Feral Thieves Wreak Havoc
In October 2024, frustrated traders told how feral thieves were wreaking havoc on their Edinburgh businesses. The quiet area Marchmont had become a target for gangs who smashed up a coffee shop in Argyll Place.
The gang broke into Detour Espresso, lobbing a brick at the window, leaving a trail of destruction. They raided the family premises for cash, but only made off with a bank business card which they used to buy burgers at McDonald's. Owner Matt Rees, 55, who was working alongside his daughter Lillie, revealed he discovered the break-in had taken place after he woke up to bank notifications on his phone.
"I woke up on Sunday morning to an alert on my phone saying someone had tried to use the business card to buy burgers in McDonald's on Princess Street," Matt said. "This must have been at around 4.30am. I figured out we must have left the bank care in the café and a break-in had taken place. When we arrived we found the front window had been smashed in with a rock. We do not take cash so there is never any money in here but you could see they had searched behind the till. Surprisingly the poetry books were still on the shelf but the card was gone."
