NEW research has suggested shoplifting offences in Gloucestershire are at an all time high, with over 4,000 recorded in the past 12 months. 

Figures obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK found that Gloucestershire Constabulary logged 15,524 shoplifting offences in the area since April 2019, with figures rising dramatically since 2023. 

The data also showed that even though there were 4,000 recorded offences, only around 500 of these resulted in prosecution.

The news comes as shoplifting in England and Wales has risen to a new 20-year high, shown by the Office for National Statistics. It revealed offences have been up 30% in the past 12 months, with the cost of living crisis being a suggested factor.

Over the last year, Gloucestershire has experienced a huge increase in the number of shoplifting offences, with the number rising to 4270 in 2023/24, in line with the general increase of offences across the UK.

Although the number of offences is on the rise, the number of prosecutions stayed between 400 and 550, meaning that only 15-20% of shoplifting offences in Gloucestershire led to charge or summons.

Over the past five years, the highest number of prosecutions came in 2019/20, standing at 537. The next two years saw a gradual decrease to 404 prosecutions, resulting from fewer offences taking place.