Desperate Sainsbury’s bosses forced to take drastic measure to stop shoplifters nicking 85p packs of MACARONI

SAINSBURY’S has started sticking security tags on 85p packs of macaroni in a bid to deter shoplifters.

The pasta is among numerous low-cost products slapped with the anti-theft stickers.

Others include £1.70 packs of Silver Spoon sugar, £2.80 jars of Sainsbury’s Gold Roast Decaffeinated Coffee and its £2.90 Rich Roast Instant Coffee Granules.

A source at one Sainsbury’s store in Purley, South London, said: “It doesn’t matter the value of the item, shoplifters will try and steal anything.

“The security tags are like speed cameras.

"They won’t stop them but they may at least slow them.”

Last week, we told how packs of Yorkshire teabags at a Tesco in South East London now carried yellow stickers that set off alarms if nicked.

Cases of shoplifting in the UK have surged to record levels — with 1,300 reported every day.

Graham Wynn, a director at the British Retail Consortium, said £18billion a year is lost to thefts from shops.

He added: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime.”

Sainsbury’s said it has since removed security tags from the macaroni and sugar but kept the others.