The shopkeepers confronting festive shoplifters

Faced with what he describes as a “relentless” onslaught of shoplifting incidents, shopkeeper Martin Gaunt says he has carried out more than 50 citizen’s arrests in the last two years.

“These people will threaten you, they will raise their fists… There comes a point where you do need to think about your own safety,” he says.

Anyone can arrest a person if they have reasonable grounds for believing a serious offence is being committed – but the National Police Chiefs Council says people should call 999 if a crime is taking place.

With shoplifting at a record high in England according to the Home Office, some retailers say they have no choice but to tackle thieves themselves.

Standing in his gift shop Happy Piranha in Truro, Cornwall, CCTV cameras above his head, Mr Gaunt says he feels left with little choice other than to front up to criminals to protect his family’s livelihood.

He initially approaches a thief to ask them to return goods, he says, but will “block their exit route” if they refuse – telling them he has the right to detain them until police arrive.

But sometimes it becomes violent.

After one younger man took an “aggressive stance”, pinning his son to the ground, he intervened and was left with bruised ribs which he “felt for weeks”.

“At Christmas we find shoplifting increases dramatically,” he says.

Mr Gaunt says the police “rarely if ever” attend when called – and the first thing they ask is if the criminal is “still on site”.

“If you perform a civil arrest you should get police attendance,” he adds.

According to the Office of National Statistics, there were 469,788 incidents of shoplifting in the year to June in England and Wales – an increase of 28% on 2023.

In Devon and Cornwall it was worse – an increase of 37% to 8,775 shoplifting offences.

Section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides power of arrest without warrant for a person other than a constable, which can be used against anyone who is in the act of committing an indictable offence; or anyone whom they have reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing an indictable offence.

Indictable offences are those which are more serious and dealt with in Crown Court.

The person making the arrest must also have reasonable grounds for believing it necessary and must inform the person about the offence they suspect they have committed, before calling the police as soon as possible.

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for acquisitive crime, says they are “committed” to reducing theft and pursuing offenders.

She says the Retail Crime Action Plan sets out guidance, including following all “reasonable lines of enquiry and prioritising attendance in incidents where violence is involved or an offender has been detained”.

She says people should “prioritise their own safety” and call 999 if a crime is taking place.

Meanwhile, police are dealing with well-documented limitations – in May 2024, officers were instructed to consider making fewer arrests because of the lack of space in prisons.

Mr Gaunt adds: “I understand they’re under-financed and under-resourced but we need more positive, collaborative action.”

Home Office figures show fewer than 20% of recorded shoplifting offences resulted in a charge or summons in the year to March 2024.

Louis Phelps and his partner, who own technical sales and repair store Gadgetverse in Exeter, say that after a year in which close to £20,000 of stock was stolen, they resorted to tracking down and restraining one criminal themselves.

Mr Phelps says among four attempted and three successful burglaries this year, an incident in February cost £12,000 in stolen equipment.

The police arrived promptly and carried out forensic work, he says.

But Mr Phelps says it was his own detective work, going store to store in Exeter, that helped them find their stolen goods.

“It was still in the same city – in fact it was in multiple stores in the city – literally less than a mile away,” he says.

Having found some stock at another local shop, Mr Phelps worked with its manager to lie in wait there for the thief’s return.

“We detained him and got the police to come and arrest him,” he adds.

Justine Hyde, who runs Hyde and Seek lifestyle store in Exeter, describes shoplifting as “pretty gruesome” – with six incidents so far in 2024.

She says she follows people outside and challenges them but it is often fruitless.

“Last time we caught a lady the police said it was going to cost too much money to chase this up, even though we knew who she was,” she says.

“We are doing our own policing really because the police are absent.”

The British Retail Consortium says shopkeepers should not engage with criminals.

Tom Holder says shoplifting costs £2bn “and rising”, adding: “With this huge cost also comes the potential for violence and abuse, retail staff potentially trying to stop criminals.”

A survey of retailers it published in February shows a 50% increase in levels of retail violence and abuse.

Mr Holder adds: “Ultimately the job of catching and arresting criminals is one for the police.”

Devon and Cornwall Police says it is committed to working with retailers on protecting their premises – making sure perpetrators face justice when offences occur.

It says resources are deployed where they can be most effective based on threat, risk and harm.

“We must prioritise attendance where violence is involved or a shoplifter is detained,” it adds.

A Home Office spokesperson says the government is taking “strong action”, removing a £200 threshold for low-value shop theft and making it a specific crime to assault a retail worker.

“The NPCC recommends only trained security guards detain offenders and forces will prioritise attendance at these incidents.”

Andrew Sharman, co-ordinator for Exeter Business Against Crime, says shoplifting can often be driven through drugs operations and organised crime.

He adds: “We can’t arrest our way out of it… It’s a deeper issue within society that needs to be addressed.

“The police here are the best force I’ve worked with, they are so proactive.”

Back in Truro, Mr Gaunt agrees shoplifting is a sign of much wider problems: “I feel desperate, I feel like giving up. It’s about so much more than a £20 teddy, it’s a broken society.”