- Shoplifting incidents involving pensioners are increasing significantly in the UK, likely due to rising living costs.
- Retail security firm Kingdom Security reports a weekly surge of 20-30 shoplifting cases nationally, often involving individuals struggling to afford food.
- An estimated 5 per cent of those caught shoplifting by Kingdom Security staff are over 50, a demographic not typically associated with such crimes.
- Retailers are often reluctant to involve police when pensioners are caught shoplifting, opting to handle matters internally.
- This trend coincides with a record high of more than half a million shoplifting offenses recorded by police in England and Wales in 2024.
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