Leeds among worst cities in UK for shoplifting problems and abuse of shop staff, survey finds

The city was behind only Nottingham (32 per cent), London (29 per cent) and Southampton (28 per cent).

Sheffield had the eighth highest percentage at 22 per cent, slightly below the national average of 24 per cent.

Of the locations surveyed, people in Plymouth and Belfast saw the least shoplifting at 12 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

The data also showed 23 per cent of customers have witnessed the physical or verbal abuse of shop staff. This can include racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons.

Leeds had the sixth highest percentage for this problem at 20 per cent, with London top at 30 per cent. Nottingham and Liverpool were close second at 29 per cent, with Manchester at 27 per cent of customers.

The research comes as the UK experiences record levels of retail crime with 20 million incidents of theft last year, and incidents of violence and abuse climbing to over 2,000 per day. Separately, Usdaw – the shopworkers’ union – have produced their own survey showing 77 per cent of retail staff experiencing abuse, 53 per cent threats, and 10 per cent assault. These incidents are not restricted to those working in stores: delivery drivers are often subjected to abuse, physical violence, and threats with weapons. As a result, many are being equipped with protective measures, such as personal safety devices to alert the police of their whereabouts, and DNA spit testing kits.

The BRC said crime cost retailers £4.2bn last year, with £2.2bn relating to shoplifting and £1.8bn spending on preventative measures like CCTV, security staff and body-worn cameras.

The Government is introducing a Crime and Policing Bill which seeks to remove the £200 threshold of ‘low level’ theft as part of a shoplifting crackdown.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Seeing incidents of theft or abuse has become an all-too-common part of the shopping experience for many people.

"While an incident can be over in a matter of seconds, it can have life-long consequences on those who experience it, making them think twice about visiting their local high streets.

"Criminals are becoming bolder and more aggressive, and decisive action is needed to put an end to it. The Crime and Policing Bill is a crucial step in providing additional protections to retail workers.

"However, in its current proposed form, it does not afford all retail workers the same protections as those working in Scotland, where delivery drivers are also protected. The Bill must protect everyone in customer facing roles in the industry.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​