A list of the top shoplifting hotspots in England and Wales has revealed the North East to be disproportionately affected, according to crime data extracted by the business insurance department of financial comparison site money.co.uk.
Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Wakefield, Stockton-on-Tees, Newcastle and north-east Lincolnshire all appearing in the top 25, drawn from three years of data.
Meanwhile, Westminster in London was the number one shoplifting area, with over 16 crimes committed per 1,000 people per anum, while Lincoln in the East Midlands came a close second with over 15.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, West Devon was found to be the place with the least shoplifting incidents, with 0.6 shoplifting crimes per 1,000 people annually.
Cameron Jaques, commercial manager at RVU, which owns money.co.uk, said: “With the cost of food and basic necessities continuing to rise, it’s not surprising that shoplifting is on the rise as well, as large segments of UK’s population struggle to afford essential everyday items.
“With the North East of England having the highest poverty rate of all the regions, and Middlesborough, Hartlepool and Newcastle upon Tyne being in the top 25 UK shoplifting hotspots, it’s safe to think there’s a correlation there. And if the cost of living crisis is here to stay, it’s likely that supermarkets and retailers will have to deal with shoplifting as a regular occurrence.”
He added: “With West Devon, East Devon, Mid Devon, South Cambridgeshire, and Teignbridge all featuring in the top 10 safest places to own a shop, the correlation between shops situated in the south of the UK and low numbers of shoplifting crimes is clear.”
Top 25 shoplifting hotspots in the UK
The table below shows the 25 local authorities with the highest number of shoplifting crimes per head per year.
| Rank | Name | Code | Area type | Population | Shoplifting crimes per 1000, per annum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Westminster |
E09000033 |
London Borough |
205,087 |
16.64 |
|
2 |
Lincoln |
E07000138 |
Non-metropolitan District |
102,330 |
15.23 |
|
3 |
Hartlepool |
E06000001 |
Unitary Authority |
92,571 |
12.76 |
|
4 |
Worthing |
E07000229 |
Non-metropolitan District |
111,657 |
12.58 |
|
5 |
Nottingham |
E06000018 |
Unitary Authority |
319,566 |
12.46 |
|
6 |
Portsmouth |
E06000044 |
Unitary Authority |
206,828 |
12.04 |
|
7 |
Adur |
E07000223 |
Non-metropolitan District |
64,626 |
11.87 |
|
8 |
Mansfield |
E07000174 |
Non-metropolitan District |
110,602 |
11.45 |
|
9 |
Dartford |
E07000107 |
Non-metropolitan District |
116,777 |
11.34 |
|
10 |
Bassetlaw |
E07000171 |
Non-metropolitan District |
118,351 |
11.17 |
|
11 |
Middlesbrough |
E06000002 |
Unitary Authority |
143,734 |
10.91 |
|
12 |
Redcar and Cleveland |
E06000003 |
Unitary Authority |
136,616 |
10.55 |
|
13 |
Kingston upon Hull |
E06000010 |
Unitary Authority |
266,463 |
10.50 |
|
14 |
Wakefield |
E08000036 |
Metropolitan District |
353,802 |
10.06 |
|
15 |
Merthyr Tydfil |
W06000024 |
Unitary Authority |
58,866 |
9.82 |
|
16 |
Cardiff |
W06000015 |
Unitary Authority |
359,512 |
9.67 |
|
17 |
Stockton-on-Tees |
E06000004 |
Unitary Authority |
197,030 |
9.62 |
|
18 |
Worcester |
E07000237 |
Non-metropolitan District |
103,617 |
9.48 |
|
19 |
Ashfield |
E07000170 |
Non-metropolitan District |
126,372 |
9.47 |
|
20 |
Norwich |
E07000148 |
Non-metropolitan District |
143,118 |
9.41 |
|
21 |
Ipswich |
E07000202 |
Non-metropolitan District |
139,614 |
9.19 |
|
22 |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
E08000021 |
Metropolitan District |
298,264 |
8.91 |
|
23 |
North East Lincolnshire |
E06000012 |
Unitary Authority |
157,197 |
8.76 |
|
24 |
Crawley |
E07000226 |
Non-metropolitan District |
118,580 |
8.55 |
|
25 |
Broxtowe |
E07000172 |
Non-metropolitan District |
110,813 |
8.54 |
Top 10 places least affected by shoplifting
The table below shows the 25 local authorities with the lowest number of shop lifting crimes per head per year.
| Rank | Name | Code | Area type | Population | Shoplifting crimes per 1000, per annum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
West Devon |
E07000047 |
Non-metropolitan District |
57,488 |
0.6 |
|
2 |
East Devon |
E07000040 |
Non-metropolitan District |
152,120 |
0.74 |
|
3 |
South Hams |
E07000044 |
Non-metropolitan District |
89,213 |
0.77 |
|
4 |
Mid Suffolk |
E07000203 |
Non-metropolitan District |
103,417 |
1.05 |
|
5 |
Forest of Dean |
E07000080 |
Non-metropolitan District |
87,140 |
1.09 |
|
6 |
Mid Devon |
E07000042 |
Non-metropolitan District |
83,186 |
1.16 |
|
7 |
South Cambridgeshire |
E07000012 |
Non-metropolitan District |
163,002 |
1.17 |
|
8 |
Teignbridge |
E07000045 |
Non-metropolitan District |
135,216 |
1.17 |
|
9 |
Torridge |
E07000046 |
Non-metropolitan District |
68,475 |
1.31 |
|
10 |
Ribble Valley |
E07000124 |
Non-metropolitan District |
61,907 |
1.33 |
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