Greeting customers deters shoplifters, police say
Lancashire Police said shoplifters can assess how easy it is to steal from a shop by how soon after they enter they are spoken to by a member of staff, in what is known as "the three-to-five second rule".
"By greeting genuine shoppers, not only does this provide a positive impression of your store, it also deters potential shoplifters," the force said.
The advice comes as retailers said theft was spiralling out of control with the highest levels across England and Wales since current records began two decades ago.
In July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were 530,643 reported shoplifting offences in the year to March, which is a 20% increase from the previous year.
British Retailers Association director Tom Ironside said the ONS figures "prove what retailers have long been telling us - that retail theft is spiralling out of control".
He said such theft triggered violence and abuse towards staff and cost retailers and customers £2.2bn a year.
'Aggressive when challenged'
Lancashire Police issued the advice to retailers in an online guide - Securing your shop from shoplifters - as part of Operation Vulture, which tackles shoplifting.
"If a thief thinks they've been spotted they're more likely to leave," the guide said.
But it also urged caution as "shoplifters could respond aggressively when challenged".
It advised staff to keep a safe distance, ask if the person needed help or a basket, and to step away and alert a manager or security if they felt uncomfortable.
The force also warned that thieves targeted stores where there was only one member of staff, "so have a few members of staff and make sure they're trained in how to spot shoplifters".
It said Operation Vulture also involved hotspot patrols, increased visibility in targeted areas, and working with retailers to understand retail crime and identify offenders.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
More like this story
Shoplifting hits record high in England and Wales
Iceland offers £1 reward for reporting shoplifters
Plain-clothes police target city shoplifters
Police boss urges public to help stop shoplifters
Hiding shoplifter arrested thanks to six-year-olds
Related internet links
Lancashire Police
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
13 minutes ago
- CNN
Stadium ban for man arrested for racially abusing Premier League star Antoine Semenyo
A 47-year-old man, who was arrested after the Premier League's season opener on Friday due to alleged racist abuse, has been banned from attending any regulated soccer match in the United Kingdom. The incident occurred during Friday's match between Liverpool and Bournemouth, with broadcast video showing a fan engaging with Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo, while the forward went to retrieve a ball for an impending throw-in. The fan can be seen shouting and pointing at the winger just before the Ghanaian restarted play. Local police said Saturday that a man had been arrested following reports racist abuse was directed towards Semenyo. 'He has now been bailed with conditions, which includes not to attend any regulated football match in the UK and not to go within one mile of a designated football stadium,' Merseyside police said in a statement Monday. The police added that the investigation into the incident 'remains ongoing and we continue to work closely with the club.' On Saturday, Semenyo posted a statement to X, formerly known as Twitter, saying that the night will 'stay with me forever - not because of one person's words, but because of how the entire football family stood together.' The 25-year-old winger thanked both his Bournemouth teammates and Liverpool's players, as well as the match officials for reacting in the way they did. He went on to score both of Bournemouth's goals, though the Cherries ultimately still succumbed to a 4-2 defeat. 'Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch,' Semenyo added. 'This is why I play - for moments like these, for my teammates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be. 'The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together.' The English FA also released a statement following the incident, stating the organization was 'concerned' about the alleged 'discrimination from an area of the crowd' and pledged to work with authorities, both clubs and match officials to 'establish the facts and ensure the appropriate action is taken.'
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Drug dealer sentenced for killing pensioner after pulling wheelie on e-bike
A drug dealer who killed a great-grandfather when he crashed after pulling a wheelie on an e-bike has been sentenced to eight years and three months' detention. Dylan Green, 20, had his girlfriend as a pillion passenger on the bike, which he later said could travel up to 50mph, when he collided with 86-year-old Bart O'Hare as he stepped into the road on his way to a chip shop in Burnley, Lancashire, in March last year. Mr O'Hare's daughter Marika Mausolf addressed Green from the witness box at Preston Crown Court on Monday and said: 'Not once did you show any thought or concern for him after taking your girlfriend out on an illegal bike and pulling wheelies on the road with no consideration for my dad. 'Your selfish attitude was to try and diminish your actions by leaving my dad to suffer so you could get rid of the bike.' She said: 'You've broken my family in so many ways that I cannot begin to explain.' Footage played in court showed Green, who was on bail for drugs offences at the time, pulling a wheelie as he drove down Accrington Road shortly after 4.15pm on March 22 last year. The wheelie lasted for 37 metres, the court heard. The collision was not shown on camera but in the moments after, Green could be seen returning on the bike, which was being ridden on the pavement. Philip Astbury, prosecuting, told the court Mr O'Hare was thrown into the air following the collision, which happened when he was less than three metres into the roadway. Tyre marks showed Green's bike had returned to two wheels shortly before the crash but Mr Astbury said the wheelie had 'entirely compromised Dylan Green's view of the road ahead of him'. He said it had not been possible to determine the speed Green was travelling, but that it was 41% faster than all other vehicles in the area at the time. He added: 'Dylan Green and his girlfriend fled the scene on his e-bike, which has never been recovered.' About 45 minutes later, Green returned to the scene with two other males, one who told a police officer Green was responsible but suggested Mr O'Hare 'ran out in front of him', the court heard. Mr O'Hare, who had two granddaughters and five great-grandchildren, died in hospital a number of days later, having suffered head and chest injuries including a fractured skull. Kristian Cavanagh, defending, said Green had demonstrated remorse 'in his own way' and night terrors and panic attacks which he suffered were a reflection of how he felt. Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham told Green: 'You should have been wearing a helmet. You should have been displaying L plates. You should have passed a basic test. You should have been insured. You should not have had a pillion passenger.' He said: 'Whilst you are undoubtedly sorry to be caught I do not detect any real remorse.' Green, of Burnley, Lancashire, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving while uninsured. He also pleaded guilty to one count of supplying MDMA between July and October 2023, for which he was given a concurrent sentence of 12 months in a young offenders institute. He was disqualified from driving for 12 years and four months. Speaking outside court, Sergeant Paul McCurrie said: 'That Friday, Bart left his house to go and pick up fish and chips for his tea, a journey that so many people will regularly make. 'Bart didn't make it to the chip shop, or home that night, instead he was killed by Dylan Green's reckless driving.' He added: 'Driving in this manner is not and never will be acceptable. 'When the worst-case scenario happens, as it did on that day last year, it leaves behind a wake of devastation to more people than you would imagine.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Antoine Semenyo: Man suspected of racially abusing Premier League star is released on bail
A man has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo. The 47-year-old from Liverpool, who hasn't been named, was ordered not to go within a mile of any football stadium - and to avoid matches. Semenyo and the game was temporarily paused while the referee spoke to the teams' managers. An anti-discrimination message was broadcast, and it is understood police went into the ref's room at half-time. Semenyo scored twice in the second half to help bring Bournemouth back from two goals down, before Liverpool went on to eventually win the contest 4-2. The player said the messages of support he received were "overwhelming" and a reminder of why he loves the sport. Read more from Sky News: On Saturday, Semenyo wrote: "Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever - not because of one person's words, but because of how the entire football family stood together." The Premier League said its "on-field anti-discrimination protocol" had been followed and the incident "will now be fully investigated". The incident came two days after Tottenham Hotspur player Mathys Tel faced racist abuse online following a missed penalty in his team's UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Merseyside Police said on Monday that its investigation was ongoing, and the force is continuing to liaise with Liverpool FC.
