One in four Britons admit to witnessing shoplifting but not reporting it
The research, conducted by security company Get Licensed last month, also found one in eight people (12 per cent) who have never witnessed any crime say they would ignore it if they did.
One in ten of the respondents confessed they have purposely stolen from a shop, while one in six (16 per cent) of people admitted to having walked out of a store with unpaid items without realising.
The new research comes amid a shoplifting crisis, as the number of offences recorded by police in England and Wales climbed to another record high in 2024-25, up 20 per cent from 2023-24.
Last month, home secretary Yvette Cooper announced a new crime 'blitz' to crack down on crime, featuring more visible policing and stronger enforcement in a bid to restore confidence in policing.
But as The Independent revealed recently, shopkeepers are struggling against the wave of shoplifting offences.
Supermarket chain Iceland is now even set to offer customers a £1 reward for actively spotting and reporting shoplifters in their stores.
A policing chief faced criticism when he intervened last week, telling the public to stop shoplifters and not just rely on police officers to curb thefts.
Matthew Barber, the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, branded people who do not do anything in the face of shoplifting as 'part of the problem'.
Joshua Reynolds, the Liberal Democrat MP for Maidenhead, which is in the Thames Valley Police area, launched a strong criticism of Mr Barber's remarks, telling The Independent they were 'dangerous' and 'irresponsible'.
And following Mr Barber's claims, policing minister Dame Diana Johnson warned members of the public against confronting shoplifters.
Get Licensed's survey of 1,004 people found men are more likely to report on such crimes than women (25 per cent compared to 21 per cent), while the 45-54-year-olds are the least likely to report these crimes, with more than a quarter having seen a small crime and not reported it (27 per cent).
Across the UK, Leeds residents were found to be the least likely to report shoplifting, with 35 per cent of locals who have witnessed a minor crime like shoplifting admitting that they did not take action. The next highest rates were recorded in London, Newcastle and Sheffield.
Meanwhile, those who find a lost wallet in London were revealed to be the most likely in the country to steal any cash inside before handing it in, with almost one in 10 residents (9 per cent) admitting they would.
And shockingly, as many as 11 per cent of locals who have witnessed a violent crime in Cardiff admitted they did not take action - the highest proportion of any UK city.
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