The shopkeepers confronting festive shoplifters

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Martin Gaunt, a shopkeeper from Cornwall, claims he has made more than 50 citizen’s arrests in two years to fight the “relentless” crime wave of shoplifting. England’s Home Office revealed that shoplifting is at an all-time high, and some retailers state that they have no choice but to fight thieves alone. A civil arrest can be performed by anyone who has reasonable grounds to suspect a serious offence is being committed. The National Police Chiefs Council recommends dialling 999 instead of intervening if a crime is in progress.

The increased crimes are leaving some traders with no alternative other than to protect their businesses themselves. Mr Gaunt from Happy Piranha sales in Truro explains that he felt he had no other option but to intervene, as police often do not arrive, and issues arose with their attendance. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), England, and Wales experienced 469,788 shoplifting incidences, a 28% increase from 2023; Devon and Cornwall saw a 37%, increase to 8,775 shoplifting offences.

In another instance, Louis Phelps, owner of technical sales and repair store Gadgetverse in Exeter, claims after suffering a year of close to £20,000 losses, he located and rested criminals himself. After reporting a series of burglaries and receiving prompt police attendance, he claims it was his investigation that found the stolen equipment less than a mile away, and he managed to detain and arrest the criminals himself.

The number of recorded shoplifting crimes leading to summonses or charges has dropped below 20% for 2024, according to data from the Home Office. Retailers are advised not to engage with criminals despite the cost of shoplifting estimated to be £2bn and rising. Retail staff potentially have to stop criminals even while violence and abuse incidents increased by 50% in a February survey by the British Retail Consortium

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