Latest news with #MSOAs
Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
New map shows UK streets hit hardest by 'Kamikaze' shoplifting
As 'Kamikaze' shoplifting sweeps Britain, a new crime map has revealed the high streets most plagued by the retail theft 'epidemic' - use our interactive map to see how it compares where you live A new map has revealed the UK high streets hit hardest by a wave of 'Kamikaze' shoplifting - as brazen thieves snatch goods in plain sight with little fear of consequences. More than 500,000 shoplifting offences were recorded by police in England and Wales in 2024 - a 20% surge on the previous year, and the highest since records began more than 20 years ago. Over half (56%) of retail workers say they've witnessed so-called Kamikaze shoplifting - blatant, in-your-face theft - in their workplace, according to research by SafetyCulture. One in eight (13%) say it happens daily, and over a third (37%) see it weekly. The British Independent Retail Association (Bira) calls it a 'tipping point', warning some offenders now believe they can 'walk into a shop, take what they want in full view of staff and customers, and walk out knowing there will be no consequences.' Adding to the trend, security firms report a 'massive increase' in pensioners shoplifting - driven by cost-of-living pressures. 'For us over the last 12 months, we've got this different level of crime now. We're now experiencing something different - pensioners, people who don't normally shoplift,' said John Nussbaum of Kingdom Service Group. The crime map reveals Leeds City Centre as the worst-hit area, with 3,004 shoplifting offences in 2024 - that's one every three hours. Fitzrovia West & Soho in Westminster followed with 2,430, and Brighton's North Laine & the Lanes came third with 2,116. Also ranking high on the list is Cathays South & Bute Park in Cardiff (1,753), the City of London (1,687), Central Birmingham (1,407), Newcastle City Centre (1,240), Liverpool's Central & Islington district (1,240), and Stone & Crossways in Dartford (1,229). Crime figures are available for every one of more than 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales, except areas covered by Greater Manchester Police, as the force has not supplied crime data for the last year. The figures cover neighbourhoods with between 7,000 and 10,000 residents, which the government designates as Middle Super Output Areas (MSOAs). The statistics do not include crimes reported at train stations, as British Transport Police record them. You can see how retail theft compares near you using our interactive map. The news comes after a former shoplifter who once stole £3 million worth of goods says Brits now have 'a licence to steal' as shoplifting hits record highs. Cullan Mals, 32, used to steal up to £2,000 a day - as much as £14,000 a week - before turning his life around. He says soft sentences made it easy: 'People now have a licence to steal and it's getting even worse with the cost-of-living crisis.' Now a podcaster working with a drug recovery charity in Cardiff, he believes tougher penalties are the only solution: 'People now have total licence to steal. I think personally, if it's on an organised level, the sentences need to be harsher because at the end of the day these people know penalties are weak. When you go to an off licence, everything is behind Perspex - it's a bit dystopian but it works. Big supermarkets should lock up all meat, booze, aftershave, and then just have a guy there whose job it is to unlock the goods for shoppers.' His comments come as repeat offender Martyn Boyns was arrested and charged with nine counts of shop theft and one of fraud in Penzance and Newlyn. The £1,200 haul included nappies, perfume, meat, and booze. Penzance Police, who announced the arrest on Facebook, said officers had been 'working tirelessly' to gather evidence. Boyns has now been banned from several shops and four streets in the town. Another former shoplifter, Keeley Knowles - once known as 'Birmingham's most prolific' - stole thousands of pounds' worth of goods to fund her heroin addiction. After 28 prison stints, she's now 18 months clean and working to inspire recovery. She credits her turnaround to West Midlands Police 's Offending to Recovery programme, which began in Erdington in 2018 and is now expanding to Coventry, Dudley, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. The scheme was developed after research showed 70% of shop theft was linked to heroin and crack addiction. Meanwhile in Edinburgh, shopkeeper Majid Mohamed says his mobile phone accessories and repair shop is regularly targeted - especially during peak tourist seasons. 'It depends on the time of year really how bad shoplifting is, it's particularly bad at Christmas and New Year and of course The Fringe, the busy times for the city,' he said. 'We have CCTV but when they are in groups they provide cover for each other. Sometimes items are stolen without us even noticing until too late. And even though we have the cameras the thieves don't seem to care, it's a 'what are you going to do' kind of attitude, pretty intimidating.' Jeff Moody, Bira's Chief Commercial Officer, said: 'The fact that shoplifting has reached this unprecedented level is frankly alarming, but it's the brazen nature of these crimes that's particularly concerning. What's particularly troubling is that half of our members are now choosing not to report thefts because they've lost faith in getting any meaningful response. 'The harm to retailers goes far beyond the immediate financial loss. Independent businesses operate on wafer-thin margins, and every theft chips away at their ability to invest, grow, and employ people. We need urgent action from police forces to treat retail crime with the seriousness it deserves, and for the courts to send a clear message that this behaviour won't be tolerated.' Shoplifting was first described as an 'epidemic' in 2023 by Dame Sharon White, the chair of John Lewis Partnership, and since then, crime - and the cost to retailers - has spiralled. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said retailers footed an 'eye-watering' £4.2 billion bill from crime last year, including £2.2bn lost to shoplifting, and £1.8bn spent on crime prevention measures.
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Interactive map shows where in country most people carry knives and guns
Our interactive map shows where police are most likely to find people in possession of a knife, firearm, or other offensive weapons - see how your area compares The town and city centres where people are most likely to be carrying weapons have been revealed by a disturbing new map - as the government introduces tough measures to tackle knife crime. Last year, police recorded almost 58,000 weapons offences in England and Wales, including possession of a knife, firearm, or other offensive weapons. That was around 850 fewer crimes than in 2023, and marks the first time the overall number of weapons offences has fallen since the pandemic. However, there were a record 28,000 crimes of possessing a knife or any article with a blade or point, and a record 22,000 crimes of possessing any weapon other than a knife or gun. The fall in overall weapons offences was driven by an 8% fall in the number of offences involving a firearm. You can see how it compares near you using our interactive map below: Where are people most likely to carry weapons? Local crime figures show weapons are most likely to be seized in town and city centres. Last year, more crimes were recorded in Birmingham's Central neighbourhood than in any other town or city centre, a total of 151. Walsall Central had the next highest number of weapons crimes at 131, and then Leeds City Centre, with 129. But our map also reveals the number and rate of weapons crimes in residential neighbourhoods. For example, there were 39 crimes recorded in Somers Town, a residential neighbourhood of Portsmouth. Considering the size of the population, that's a rate of 37 crimes for every 10,000 people, or one weapons offence for every 272 residents. There were also 34 weapon crimes in Chalvey, a former village which is now a suburb of Slough, a rate of 24 crimes per 10,000 residents, or one per 406 people. Figures are available for every one of more than 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales apart from areas covered by Greater Manchester Police, as the force has not supplied crime data for last year. Crime figures are available for neighbourhoods with between 7,000 and 10,000 residents, which the government designates as Middle Super Output Areas (MSOAs). The statistics do not include crimes reported at train stations, as British Transport Police record them. Government announces tough new measure to combat knife crime Meanwhile, the government continues to crack down on knife crime. Last month, the Home Office published plans to fine tech companies and their executives up to £70,000 for failing to remove content related to knife crime from their platforms. The penalty includes up to £10,000 for executives and £60,000 for the company. It follows last year's ban on zombie-style knives and machetes, the street name given to weapons which are over eight inches in length and often have a serrated edge. A nationwide surrender scheme will launch in July. Other measures launched by the government to tackle knife crime include a two-step verification for online retailers selling knives, increasing prison sentences for selling weapons to under 18s from six months to two years, and introducing a new offence for possessing a weapon with intent for violence with a prison sentence of up to four years. The government is also set to launch a consultation on introducing a licensing scheme for retailers who want to sell knives. Launching the latest measures to tackle knife crime, Crime and Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson said: 'The kind of content that young people scroll through every day online is sickening and I will not accept any notion that restricting access to this harmful material is too difficult. 'Our children need more from us. That is why we are now going further than ever to hold to account the tech companies who are not doing enough to safeguard young people from content which incites violence, particularly in young boys.'
