Labour has sparked outrage after urging shopkeepers to hide “high value” items in an attempt to tackle Britain’s shoplifting epidemicDame Diana Johnson, the policing minister, said alcohol and other products should not be displayed at the front of stores because it will incentivise thieves. It comes as shoplifting in England and Wales reached record levels, with reported offenses rising by a fifth in the year ending March 2025.Last week, it emerged that the Run Ragged, a vintage store in Wrexham, Wales, was forced by police to change the wording of a sign criticising “scumbags shoplifting” because it was deemed “offensive”.
