'Shoplifting is a tale we're very familiar with'

Norfolk Chief Constable Paul Sanford says shoplifting has been an issue since he was a PC

A police chief has said more officers on the street and "swift sanctions" are crucial in the battle against shoplifting.

Norfolk's Chief Constable, Paul Sanford, told the BBC his force charges people in 31.7% of cases – the highest charge rate for shoplifting offences in England and Wales – because of the action it takes.

He said: "We need to make sure that shoplifters are seeing police officers when they commit their crime and those crimes are being detected."

Earlier this month, owners of independent shops in Norwich city centre said they were frustrated "brazen" shoplifters were stealing their stock.

The Centre for Retail Research has estimated shoplifting added £133 onto the cost of an average household’s shopping bill each year

Mr Sanford said: "Shoplifting is on the rise across the UK, and it's all too common that it's individuals with chronic addiction who are behind a significant proportion of this offending, so it's a tale that we're very familiar with."

As well as visible policing, he said forces needed to make sure there were "adequate deterrents".

He added: "We're doing that in Norfolk with good success, but across the UK we've still go a long way to go.

"In my force, we're detecting 46% of shoplifting, so you've roughly got a 50% chance of whether you're going to get caught.

"That's a strong deterrent, that's a strong risk-reward ratio. What needs to follow is the appropriate sanctions, and swift sanctions.

"Quite often there's a lot of comment about whether it should be prison or some sort of order, but for me speed of intervention is really important practically, when these offences are driven by drug or alcohol addiction."

Banning prolific offenders

According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 430,000 shoplifting offences were recorded last year – the highest figure since current police records began in 2003.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has previously pledged to revoke 2014 legislation that meant "low-value" thefts of under £200 were subject to less serious punishments.

Mr Sanford said action taken in Norfolk included banning prolific offenders from high streets.

"We need swift and relevant sanctions and we need to address the underlying causes, namely drug and alcohol addiction, and if you do all that I think you've got a chance of addressing this offending," he added.