'The number of warnings shoplifters get is crazy'

Katy Bourne is the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner

It is "crazy" how many warnings shoplifters get before they are punished, says the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner.

Katy Bourne was on BBC Radio Sussex on Thursday morning as part of the "Hotseat" series, where authority figures are asked about their biggest challenges over an hour-long conversation.

She discussed shoplifting in the region and urged the government and courts to help the force crackdown on the crime.

Ms Bourne, who is the national lead for retail and business crime among PCCs, said: "Our prisons are full, the courts are so backlogged its unreal and so they will do everything they can to keep them out of going to prison."

The Ministry of Justice and HM Prison Service have been contacted for a comment.

The PCC said: "The whole point of stopping somebody from doing crime is to deter them in the first place.

"They've got to know they're going to get caught, they've got to know that there's repercussions."

A crime survey by the British Retail Consortium also found retail abuse and violence had risen by around 50% in the past year.

'Not surprised at all'

In Sussex, shoplifting figures rose by 13.5% in Sussex in the past year, according to ONS figures.

Ms Bourne said she was "not surprised at all" by the increase.

The Conservative politician added: "It has almost become accepted by people that individuals, particularly adults which surprises me immensely, can just walk into a store, pick up a supermarket trolley or basket, fill it, and then just walk out."

Mike Adamson, from the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, says shoplifting is "absolutely rife in the Sussex area".

He added: "Its not a victimless crime, but it's being treated that way."

The PCC said some large supermarket chains were concerned with organised gangs, which they believed were costing them up to £2bn a year.

As a result, some chains put £1m into starting an independent national police unit to tackle the issue.

The unit had already arrested more than 30 organised gangs in about seven months, Ms Bourne added.