Wiltshire Police pledges to tackle shoplifting 'epidemic'

Wiltshire's PCC has said there are around 10 incidents a day of shoplifting in Swindon alone

A police force is urging retailers to keep reporting shoplifters and has pledged to tackle an upsurge in the crime before Christmas.

Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner said he has listened to shop-workers across the county and that "there is obviously a huge problem."

Roger Shakles runs Sewcraft, a sewing shop in Swindon, and said thieves were operating "in broad daylight".

PCC Philip Wilkinson said officers are committed to tackling the issue.

Mr Wilkinson said there are around 10 incidents of shoplifting daily in just Swindon.

He said there will be change soon: "We will be making improvements before Christmas and in time for Christmas."

Police want retailers to keep telling them about problems and have said they are aware they need to "focus more attention to this type of criminality."

Wiltshire's PCC Philip Wilkinson has said that policing for shoplifting will "improve for Christmas"

Mr Shakles said he thinks people usually steal "stuff they can sell on."

"They don't seem to care anymore.

"If they can get away with it, they'll do it in broad daylight.

"The lady we had nicking our cross stitches said she was a regular customer of ours.

'No deterrent'

"I think it's an attitude that they don't care anymore. They've got no regard for anyone else."

Mr Shakles explained he would be nervous of trying to stop someone now: "If we were to apprehend a shoplifter now, we could get stabbed, injected. There is no deterrent.

"We need some help."

Roger Shakles has said that people "don't seem to care anymore" when they steal from his shop

He said he agrees with the boss of John Lewis who referred to shoplifting as an "epidemic."

Dame Sharon White told the BBC the business had seen offences "double" in a year.

Nearly 90 retail leaders across the country have written to the government asking for more action to tackle the crime.

The British Retail Consortium, which represents lots of high street chains, says shoplifting went up by 26 percent last year.

Vince Ayris runs a shoe repair and engraving shop in Swindon.

He has taken the Police and Crime Commissioner round the area to discuss the issue.

Vince Ayris has said that he would be prepared to confront a shoplifter

He believes addiction problems are behind much of it: "We've got the hyenas of our community. They're lacking in their education.

"They're driven by addiction. So we need more support for them."

Mr Wilkinson said the Wiltshire force is putting more officers on the frontline so they can react "in a more timely fashion" and that he and the Chief Constable are "determined to deploy the necessary resources to provide the security of our retailers and to stop the shoplifting."