"According to the Met's monthly crime database, a total of 99,363 shoplifting offences were logged in the 12 months running up to December. It comes as retailers and shop assistants brace for the Christmas and New Year shopping rush, which is often the peak period for shoplifting. The recent increase in shoplifting incidents, which is reportedly costing retailers around 16.7 million a month, comes as London police launched a major crackdown on petty crime."
"Last month, 100 additional officers were deployed to London's West End to tackle offences including shoplifting and phone theft. We're doubling down before Christmas, as the West End enters one of its busiest periods, said Superintendent Natasha Evans at the time. Local officers, specialist teams, and tech such as Live Facial Recognition will focus on the areas with the most crime to keep driving numbers down."
"So what parts of London are seen as shoplifting hotspots according to the data in 2025? According to the monthly crime data from January 2025 to November 2025, there were 7,150 instances of shoplifting recorded in the borough of Westminster. Home to Oxford Street, the busiest shopping strip in Europe, it comes as no surprise that incidents of shoplifting are highest in this area. There are almost 300 stores on Oxford Street, including several prominent flagship retailers such as Selfridges."
"Newham is the second-most prevalent borough in the capital for shoplifting, with 4,485 incidents recorded between January and November 2025. Home to Westfield Stratford, it's yet another shopping hotspot which helps explain its ranking in this list. At least 3,901 shoplifting incidents happened in Camden this year, home to the thriving Camden markets among other retail hotspots. However, it wasn't the most common type of theft in the area. There were also 6,908 reports of theft from person and 891 bike thefts."
London recorded 99,363 shoplifting offences in the year to December, costing retailers around 16.7 million a month. Police launched a major crackdown on petty crime and deployed 100 additional officers to the West End, supported by local units, specialist teams, and technologies such as Live Facial Recognition. Shoplifting hotspots from January–November 2025 include Westminster (7,150 incidents), Newham (4,485), and Camden (3,901). Camden also reported 6,908 theft-from-person incidents and 891 bike thefts. Retail locations such as Oxford Street and Westfield Stratford are prominent centres for recorded shoplifting. Incidents typically peak during the Christmas and New Year shopping rush.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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