Two Kent villages suffer more from shoplifting than almost anywhere else in the country, data has revealed
Home Office figures show that shoplifting offences have soared across the nation since the pandemic, as the cost-of-living crisis has bitten. (Image: )
Two Kent villages suffer more from shoplifting than almost anywhere else in the country, data has revealed – 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 16,849 shoplifting offences in Kent alone last year, a 11% rise.
The latest hyperlocal, neighbourhood crime figures show that in the 12 months to October, the Stone & Crossways district, covering the two villages near Dartford, experienced more shop theft than anywhere else in Kent. According to Home Office figures, police recorded 1,418 crimes of shoplifting in the year to October. That was the second-highest number of shoplifting offences in the South East, behind only North Laine & the Lanes, Brighton’s bohemian hub of independent shops and outdoor stalls, and the seventh highest in England and Wales. It was also more than twice as many crimes recorded in Canterbury Central & Westgate, which had the next highest number of shoplifting offences in Kent, with 655.
It was followed by Whitstable West with 536 offences, and Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (444), and Sittingbourne Central & Milton Regis (421).
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 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.
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.
