A RECORD number of shoplifting offences were recorded in South Yorkshire last year, new figures have revealed.
Office for National Statistics figures show there were 13,800 shoplifting offences recorded by South Yorkshire Police in 2023.
It was up 46 per cent from 9,441 offences in 2022 and the highest since comparable records in 2003.
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said the figures were ‘sadly not surprising’.
He added: “Thieves are stealing on a regular basis without fear of apprehension, so it’s essential that every police force in the country takes theft seriously, not least because challenging thieves is one of the biggest triggers for abuse of shopworkers“.
