Retail crime is ‘out of control’ with thousands of staff abused daily and theft at all-time high

RETAIL crime is “out of control” — with 2,000 incidents of staff abuse a day last year.

Theft also hit an all-time high, with 20million cases over the year — costing firms £2.2billion.

It means there were 55,000 crimes a day involving stolen goods.

Most incidents are linked to organised crime groups targeting multiple stores in the UK.

Meanwhile, the rate of abuse towards workers is now more than four times higher than in 2020, when there were just 455 cases a day.

And of last year’s incidents, 70 a day involved a weapon — a rate more than double the previous year, according to the survey by the British Retail Consortium.

Bosses are now putting millions into stopping crime — such as kitting out staff with body cams or adding security tags to more items.

Helen Dickinson, of the BRC, said: “Retail crime is spiralling out of control.

“People have been spat on, racially abused and threatened with machetes.

“With little faith in police, it is no wonder criminals feel they have a licence to steal, threaten, assault and abuse.”