Britain is in the grip of a shoplifting epidemic with a record 810 offences going unsolved a day, figures show.
Police closed 295,589 shoplifting cases without identifying a suspect in 2024-25 – the equivalent of officers shelving 34 offences an hour.
Shoplifting levels have doubled since the pandemic and rocketed by 20 per cent since Labour came into power.
And new analysis, produced for the Liberal Democrats, has revealed how a record number of cases are being dropped by police.
The number of shoplifting investigations being closed without a suspect identified has soared by 65 per cent compared to five years ago when 178,906 shoplifting offences went unsolved.
This year, fewer than one in five (19 per cent) shoplifting cases led to a suspect being charged or summoned, while 55 per cent of cases were closed without a suspect being identified.
And separate Office for National Statistics figures show that between April 2024 and March 2025, police recorded 530,643 shoplifting offences – the equivalent of one a minute.
The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers said last month a survey of 3,000 members had revealed 71 per cent of staff had been verbally abused, 48 per cent were threatened and 9 per cent had been assaulted.
Britain is in the grip of a shoplifting epidemic with a record 810 offences going unsolved a day, figures show
Now the Lib Dems are calling for a scheme offering small independent convenience stores grants of up to £6,500 to install CCTV in a bid to deter shoplifters.
Lib Dem business spokesman 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.
‘That’s why we’re calling for a mass CCTV rollout, to give the businesses the tools they need to protect themselves and tackle this crime once and for all.’
Lib Dem MP and former retail worker Josh Reynolds added: ‘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.’
The Government’s Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, which will have a maximum penalty of six months in prison.
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘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.’
