More retail theft was recorded in Leeds City Centre than anywhere else in England and Wales
14:40, 13 Jan 2026Updated 14:44, 13 Jan 2026
shoplifting – a woman steals a bottle of wine in a supermarket(Image: )
Leeds City Centre has been revealed as the shoplifting capital of England and Wales – as retail crime continues to spiral amid the cost-of-living crisis and a theft “epidemic”.
Home Office figures show that shoplifting offences have soared across the nation since the pandemic, as the cost-of-living crisis has bitten.
In the year ending March 2025, more than 530,000 crimes of shoplifting were recorded by police in England and Wales, a 19% increase from 444,000 the previous year and the highest number on record.
That includes 22,642 shoplifting offences in West Yorkshire alone last year, a 2% rise.
The latest hyperlocal, street-level crime figures show that in the 12 months to October, Leeds City Centre experienced more shop theft than anywhere else in England and Wales.
According to Home Office figures, police recorded an astonishing 2,836 crimes of shoplifting in the year to October, far higher than anywhere else in the country.
Second was Brighton’s North Laine & the Lanes district, the city’s bohemian hub of independent shops, outdoor stalls, restaurants, pubs, and cafes. A total of 2,401 shoplifting crimes were recorded in this area. Fashionable Fitzrovia West & Soho had the highest levels of shoplifting in London, and the third-highest nationally, with 2,295 crimes recorded.
In West Yorkshire, Central Bradford & Barkerend West had the next highest number of offences, with 862 crimes of shoplifting, followed by Keighley Central & East (719), Wakefield Central (575), and Huddersfield Leeds Road & Fartown (458).
You can see how much shoplifting goes on where you live, and how it compares with the rest of the country, using our interactive map.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “Police in Leeds city centre work closely with retailers and key partners, including Safer Leeds, Leeds Business Improvement District, Businesses Against Crime In Leeds and Leeds City Centre Management, to maintain a longer-term problem-solving approach to shoplifting in the city centre and the societal issues which are often associated with it.
“The close support provided to retailers encourages them to report crimes; this enables us to build a more accurate picture of where to deploy resources targeting repeat offenders and vulnerable locations.
“Over the last year, this joint approach has led to Criminal Behaviour Orders being issued against prolific offenders in Leeds, as well as numerous arrests and other positive outcomes in terms of tackling this issue.
“Work is ongoing to secure more of these orders, and the city centre is regularly patrolled both overtly and covertly, so officers can build intelligence on those causing the most harm to the retail sector and take action when crimes are reported.”
(Image: Getty)
A spokesperson for the British Retail Association (Bira) said: “Retail crime continues to be a serious problem for retailers. The last thing any shop needs right now is to have stock stolen – it is demoralising and has a serious financial impact in the business.
“There is also the huge mental welfare impact on shop owners and the people who work for them – these people need to be protected and feel safe. We have seen better responses to the issue from police forces around the country in the past few months, but now we see hold-ups in terms of prosecutions due to delays in the court process.
“We are urging retailers to report all incidents, but it is disheartening when the retailer sees the criminal out on the street the day after being arrested.”
Crime figures are available for every one of more than 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales, except areas covered by Greater Manchester Police, as the force has not supplied crime data for the last year. Crime figures are available for neighbourhoods with between 7,000 and 10,000 residents, which the government designates as Middle Super Output Areas (MSOAs).
The statistics do not include crimes reported at train stations, as British Transport Police record them.
Shoplifting was first described as an “epidemic” in 2023 by Dame Sharon White, the chair of John Lewis Partnership, and since then, crime—and the cost to retailers—has spiralled.
Dame Sharon White, chair of John Lewis(Image: Handout)
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said retailers footed an “eye-watering” £4.2 billion bill from crime in 2024, including £2.2bn lost to shoplifting, and £1.8bn spent on crime prevention measures.
Speaking in response to rising crime figures, Lucy Whing, Crime Policy Adviser at the BRC, said: “The causes are manifold, but the rise in organised crime is a particular concern, with gangs systematically hitting stores one after another, all over the country.
“Theft is also a major trigger for violence and abuse against staff. Incidents of violence and abuse have risen to over 2,000 per day.
“Fortunately, Government and police are committed to turning the tide on crime. We are edging closer to the implementation of the Crime and Policing Bill, which will soon go to the Committee Stage. The Bill will remove the £200 threshold for ‘low-level’ theft, which will send a clear signal that all shoplifting is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
The Crime and Policing Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons and is now being scrutinised by the House of Lords. It is expected to become law later this year.
It aims to crack down on shoplifting by removing the £200 “low-value” threshold, which means theft of goods below that value is currently a summary-only offence, dealt with by magistrates, leading to a perception that many shoplifters are getting off lightly. The Bill will also create a new standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker.
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