Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Retail crime epidemic: Robbery from business properties surges by 52%

Only 4.5% of robbery cases recorded by the police resulted in a suspect being charged in the year to June
gettyimages

Only 4.5% of robbery cases recorded by the police resulted in a suspect being charged in the year to June

Robbery incidents in England and Wales have risen sharply, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reporting 81,931 cases in the year to June 2024—a six per cent increase from 77,106 the previous year.

Criminals are increasingly targeting businesses, as The Times’ analysis of ONS data reveals a 52 per cent surge in robberies at business properties.


Recorded cases rose to 12,000 in the year to June 2024 from 7,884 in the previous 12 months—the highest figure on record. This equates to 33 robberies a day.

In contrast, personal property robberies saw only a marginal one per cent increase, from 69,222 to 69,931 cases.

The ONS data also highlights a worrying trend: knife-related robberies now account for 28 per cent of all incidents (21,759 cases).

Additionally, shoplifting has surged to an all-time high, with 469,788 incidents recorded in the year to June—marking a 29 per cent rise compared to the previous year (365,173) and a staggering 106 per cent increase since March 2021.

Alarmingly, fewer than one in ten cases resulted in charges, while nearly half were closed without identifying a suspect, The Times reported.

Citing Ministry of Justice figures, the publication reveals that only 4.5 percent of robbery cases recorded by the police resulted in a suspect being charged in the year to June.

Retail workers face growing threats

An investigation by Usdaw, the shop workers union, has shed light on the increasing number of violent attacks on retail staff.

According to interim results from its 2024 survey of 4,073 shop workers:

  • 69% of retail workers experienced verbal abuse.
  • 45% faced threats.
  • 17% reported being physically assaulted.

Shoplifting was identified as the trigger in 70 per cent of cases, with drug and alcohol addiction cited as underlying factors in 64 per cent.

The final results of the survey are expected to be published in March 2025.

Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis pointed out that the lack of action from the previous government has resulted in “an epidemic of retail crime.”

He said: “After 14 years of neglect and repeated refusals to deal with the issue from the last Conservative government, we are pleased to see that Labour is making this a priority and delivering the measures our members and all retail workers desperately need.”

Government pledges to tackle retail crime

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has committed to enhancing street safety through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. Backed by a £100 million investment, the initiative aims to deploy 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers to patrol the streets.

The Labour government’s plans to address retail crime include:

  • Introducing a standalone offence for assaulting shop workers.
  • Scrapping the 2014 rule that downgraded thefts under £200 to a summary-only offence, which has been blamed for reduced prosecutions.

The forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, expected to be introduced to parliament in the spring, will ensure that shoplifting offences are treated more seriously by the police.

Dame Diana Johnson, the policing minister, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safer communities, stating: “We’ll tackle retail crime and assault of shop workers and scrap the Tory shoplifters’ charter.”

“This is a government committed to our mission for safer streets, for safer communities, and for a safer Britain, and we have a plan to get there.”

England and Wales recorded a total of 5,366,753 crimes in the year to June 2024, down from 5,563,646 the previous year.

More For You

Pharmacy owners to receive 19p SAF increase in advance payments for April and May 2025

The Single Activity Fee (SAF) was increased by 19p to £1.46 per item, effective from April 2024.

gettyimages

19p SAF increase to be included in April and May 2025 advance payments

Following discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has agreed a mechanism that will allow pharmacy owners to receive the 19p increase to the Single Activity Fee (SAF) earlier for the dispensing months of April and May 2025.

CPE said: “The advance payments for these dispensing months will be adjusted to incorporate the uplift to the SAF. No adjustment to advance payments will be required from the June 2025 dispensing month onwards.”

Keep ReadingShow less
CPE invites pharmacy owners to share their views on new CPCF funding settlement

What do you think should be the next priority for the Government?

gettyimages

Pharmacy owners asked to share their views on new CPCF arrangements

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) is urging pharmacy owners to share their views on the new Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) funding settlement ahead of its next full Committee meeting, scheduled for 30 April–1 May.

The Committee said it had agreed to the settlement "reluctantly," acknowledging that it represents a significant shift after years of real-terms funding cuts, while admitting that it’s “still not sufficient to match the continued scale of pressures facing pharmacy businesses.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Homecare medicines services face many challenges beyond pharmacy's control

Homecare medicines services face many challenges beyond pharmacy's control

gettyimages

GPhC calls for industry-wide collaboration to strengthen homecare medicines services

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has called for industry-wide collaboration to improve homecare medicines services to ensure patients always receive their medicines when needed.

The call follows a recent review by the regulator, which identified several challenges facing homecare services, many of which were beyond the immediate control of the pharmacies providing them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lack of funding deters NI pharmacy contractors from expanding portfolio

W G Hamilton Pharmacy is the third pharmacy in Northern Ireland to be recently sold to first-time buyers.

Pharmacy ownership trends shift in Northern Ireland due to funding gap

An increasing number of pharmacies in Northern Ireland are being acquired by first-time buyers, as existing contractors and groups pull back from expanding their portfolios amid ongoing funding pressures, according to specialist business property adviser Christie & Co.

Among the most recent sales is W G Hamilton Pharmacy, a busy community pharmacy in Ballysillan, North Belfast.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS backs Pharmacist Support "Gift in Wills" initiative

The ‘Gift in Wills’ initiative is delivered in partnership with Bequeathed.

Photo credit: gettyimages

Leave a legacy: RPS partners with Pharmacist Support to promote ‘Gift in Wills’

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced its support for the ‘Gift in Wills’ initiative run by Pharmacist Support, coinciding with the charity’s birthday celebrations today (Tuesday 15 April).

This collaboration allows RPS members to create a free will while also helping to safeguard the future of vital support services for the pharmacy profession.

Keep ReadingShow less