Policing Minister Sarah Jones said the government is turning the tide on the shoplifting epidemic as new figures showed a drop in cases and more thieves being charged by police
Labour’s policing minister has said the government is turning the tide on Britain’s shoplifting epidemic after figures showed a fall in cases and a rise in prosecutions.
Sarah Jones, who was reappointed to the role by Andy Burnham on Tuesday, said there has been a real change in how seriously retail is taken after years of failure. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a 4% drop in cases in the year to March 2026, although the number remains high over 507,000 offences.
This was down from over 530,000 the year before. Meanwhile separate Home Office figures showed the charge rate for shoplifting offences has risen to 23.2%.
Ms Jones told The Mirror: “Shop theft has fallen once again – and is 4% down on last year. These figures show our approach is working. But we will not stop here.
“For too long, retail crime has been dismissed as low-level offending. It harms shopworkers, damages businesses and hollows out communities. Shoplifting charges are up 19%. More offenders are being caught and facing justice, with almost one in four offences now leading to a charge, and that reflects a real change in how seriously this crime is now being taken.
“We will not stand for shopworkers being intimidated, threatened or assaulted while simply doing their jobs.”
She pointed to the government’s Crime and Policing Act, which got rid of a Tory loophole which meant thefts worth less than £200 were less likely to result in prosecution.
Retail sector chiefs blamed this for a massive rise in cases while the Conservatives were in power. In 2024 it passed half a million for the first time, with 516,971 offences. Legislation brought in under Labour abolished the low-value shoplifting threshold, with all shop theft now treated as general theft with a maximum prison sentence of up to seven years.
The Mirror’s Clamp Down on Shoplifting Campaign – backed by retailers including Co-op, Nisa and John Lewis – called for the loophole to close and more PCSOs to patrol high streets.
We have also called for more work to address the root causes of theft, as well as mandatory police investigations when cases are reported.
Ms Jones said: “Every theft, regardless of the value of the goods, will be treated as the serious crime it is. We are also making it a specific criminal offence to assault a retail worker, because no one should go to work and fear for their safety.”
Ms Jones said the results show that bulking up police neighbourhood teams, with an extra 3,800 officers and PCSOs since March 2025, is paying off. She said: “The figures show that after years of neglect, we are turning the tide on theft on our high streets.”
Lisa Maslen, Lead of the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), said: “As these stats demonstrate, the Tackling Retail Crime Together Plan is helping to drive a more consistent national response, ensuring police, retailers and partners are working together to tackle prolific offenders and improve outcomes for victims.
“The commitment to neighbourhood policing, alongside stronger legislation and increased enforcement, is already beginning to make a difference.”