More than nine out of every 10 stores report violence against staff occurs at least once a month.
Pictures in today’s Daily Record showing the knives being carried around by organised shoplifting gangs are terrifying.
But they illustrate the truth behind the current explosion in retail theft – it is not being driven by desperate people stealing a few things here and there to get by.
It is driven by ruthless criminals with links to drug dealing, people trafficking and other organised crime. Gangs walking out of supermarkets with bottles of spirits, champagne or aftershave are often lining the pockets of heavy duty crime lords.
The Record today reveals how one gang was caught with knives while on a shoplifting spree in Aberdeen.
They were busted by cops working with retailers to track prolific retail crime offenders. While the initiative is a welcome example of the difference policing can make, many shop staff will think it barely scratches the surface.
Labour leader Anas Sarwar was right to press John Swinney on the subject of shoplifting at Holyrood yesterday. The rise in retail theft is not unique to Scotland but that doesn’t mean the issue can be ignored.
It’s not just about supermarket profits being dented. More than nine out of every 10 stores report violence against staff occurs at least once a month. Perpetrators feel the risks of being caught, never mind prosecuted, are tiny.
Tough action is required to clamp down on repeat store thieves. That means they must be arrested, charged and face the full force of the law. A slap on the wrist is no deterrent to these hardened criminal gangs.
No more Mandys
Peter Mandelson has always been a man who likes to be surrounded by powerful people. Labour PMs Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Keir Starmer all elevated him to high office. But his time in public life has also been marred by terrible errors of judgment.
He had to resign twice from office after successive scandals, which meant being given another chance as Starmer’s ambassador to the US came as a surprise. Starmer’s decision to fire the Labour peer after a few months in the post shows it was a reckless gamble.
Mandelson’s links to prolific paedophile Jeffrey Epstein were already worrying at the time of the appointment.But the disclosure of emails showing him supporting Epstein even after he faced jail for sexual offences was revolting.
He has yet again proven to be a liability for Labour and there can be no return. This scandal, coupled with Angela Rayner’s resignation, has undermined Starmer’s attempted reboot. He must regroup and focus energy on delivering his promises for citizens across the UK.
