The Prime Minister has called time on shop theft, highlighting action being taken by the Government to take on the issue.
Speaking at the USDAW annual delegate meeting in Blackpool, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared the Government was “calling time on the free for all” that is shop theft.
Highlighting the Crime and Policing Bill, the Prime Minister outlined the work being done to tackle shop theft which is plaguing stores across the country.
During the speech, the Prime Minister said: “Working people, grafters – go to work, do the right thing, keep our high streets thriving, and yet too often they are abused or assaulted by people who think they can get away with it and just cheat the system. It’s disgraceful.
“We are currently reforming the police across the country so we can free up their time and their money to focus more on street policing, neighbourhood policing, and cracking down on anti-social behaviour. We’ve already got an extra 3,000 neighbourhood officers on the streets, and there’s more to come.
“We’ve scrapped the ridiculous regulation where thieves stealing goods worth less than £200 would not be properly held to account. That was a shoplifters’ charter, and we’ve ended it. We’ve toughened up punishment too. We’re giving police stronger powers, making the abuse and assault of retail workers a specific crime and giving you the same protections as emergency workers.
“I’m not blind to how big a challenge this is. But the number of people charged has gone up by 17% in the latest stats. Shop theft is down – only slightly – but the tide could be turning. We are calling time on the free for all, standing firm, together, against the disgraceful crime of shop theft.”
Commenting on the Government’s action, Usdaw general secretary, Joanne Thomas, said: “Retail crime remains at very high levels, as demonstrated by the latest police recorded crime statistics. While there has been a welcome small decrease in shoplifting across last year, the fact is retail crime continues to be a significant issue for the sector and, particularly, staff. Usdaw’s last survey found that this is in no way a victimless crime, with two-thirds of attacks on retail staff being triggered by theft or armed robbery. Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers.
“We have campaigned along with many retail employers for substantial legislative measures to combat this growing problem and we are pleased that the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill has almost completed its passage through Parliament. This government immediately set about tackling the issue and we are now starting to see the results of their investment in policing and funding for more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas.
“The Bill delivers a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law; ends the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters and introduces Respect Orders for offenders. This government has also started the process of reforming police services to put a greater focus on local crime and provide a Local Policing Guarantee. It is our hope that these new measures will help give retail workers the respect they deserve.”
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive Ed Woodall said: “We strongly welcome the incoming Crime and Policing Bill, which will help to reset the narrative on shop theft. There is no such thing as low level theft, these are incidents that affect the livelihoods of thousands of retailers.
“Retailers tell us that the most effective deterrent is police presence in communities, but when an incident does occur it’s essential that we see action being taken to break the cycle of reoffending by prolific thieves.”
Paul Gerrard, Director of Campaigns, Public Affairs and Policy, Co-op, added: “We welcome the continued Government focus on this issue, as we know the tide of criminality can be turned and have seen first-hand crime levels reducing in the Co-op by more than 20% in 2025. Co-op has been the lead retail campaigner on this issue, but there is still work to do as we continue to invest significantly in wide-ranging safety and security measures, alongside successful partnerships with local police forces to target the prolific and repeat offenders. Local stores are an anchor in communities, and we all must continue to do all we can to protect them and those that work in them.”
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