Sadiq Khan blames rise in shoplifting on 'too many shops'

Sadiq Khan said shoplifting accrued 'because we person a batch of shops'. (Image: Getty)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has appeared to suggest a 50% emergence successful shoplifting successful the superior is “because we person a batch of shops”.

New figures amusement 80,041 shoplifting offences were recorded successful London successful the twelvemonth to September, up from 53,202 the twelvemonth before.

The summation is much than treble the emergence (22%) seen crossed the full of England and Wales.

When asked wherefore London was experiencing specified a spike, Mr Khan said: “Because we person a batch of shops here, and due to the fact that the cost-of-living situation is much acute successful the superior city.”

The Labour politician, who is successful his 3rd successive word arsenic London Mayor, said “acquisitive transgression is going to spell up, and has gone up” arsenic the cost of living situation worsens.

Figures amusement shoplifting successful London has doubled. (Image: Getty)

He said the 3 “acquisitive” crimes that had accrued the astir were “personal theft, idiosyncratic robbery and shoplifting”.

London has astir 40,000 retail outlets, but the surge cannot beryllium explained by a 50% emergence successful the fig of shops arsenic the fig really fell by astir 400 successful the twelvemonth to June, according to analysts astatine PWC, the Daily Mail reports.

New figures from a survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), amusement retail transgression is astatine its highest level connected record.

The survey revealed theft reached an all-time precocious with implicit 20 cardinal incidents (over 55,000 per day) costing retailers £2.2bn successful 2023/24.

It besides recovered incidents of unit and maltreatment climbed to much than 2,000 per time successful the aforesaid period, up from 1,300 the twelvemonth before, with 70 incidents per time involving a weapon.

The Government has confirmed it volition put an other £100m successful neighbourhood policing, successful summation to £100m announced successful December for England and Wales to enactment 13,000 much constabulary officers connected the streets by 2029.

Downing Street said the concern is astir “visible, accessible policing”.

Policing curate Dame Diana Johnson said much officers connected the crushed would assistance to people anti-social behaviour and “record-breaking” levels of shoplifting.