Greggs to stop thieves by making huge change that will impact all customers
The popular bakery has placed a new safety measure in some of its stores to combat shoplifting.
Greggs is taking measures to stamp out shoplifting, with a handful of stores selected to trial out the change. While well-known for the sausage rolls and other hot pastries, the high street bakery also offers a selection of convenient self-serve food and drinks, including baguettes and finger food.
However, with a rise in shoplifting, the company has made the decision to trial holding their self-serve items behind the counter. The measure is being trialled out in a few selected stores that are said to be "exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour."
While the initial stores to take on the policy are in England - one in Whitechapel and others in Peckham and Ilford - the company has said that it may also be rolled out to other stores across the country that experience high levels of theft.
Greggs currently has 2,600 bakeries across the UK, and according to the Office of National Statistics, shoplifting offences recorded by the police in 2024 rose by 20 per cent to a whopping 516,971.
However, the number of shoplifting incidents reported by retailers themselves was significantly higher. In the 12 months leading up to September last year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said that shops saw a 3.7million rise in incidents to 20.4million.
While shoppers of the selected stores will see more food behind the counter, Greggs have added: "The safety of our colleagues and customers remains our number one priority."
Some retailers, including supermarkets, have reported being targeted by organised groups who wear bluetooth headsets to communicate with each other. These gangs have also been said to set off alarms to cause a distraction so their fellow thieves can escape.
Andy Higginson, chair of JD Sports and the BRC, told the BBC that some people see shoplifting as a "way of life", as they are able to trade or sell the items they have stolen.
He added: "There is an element of society that is starting to take stealing from stores as a way of life and that needs to be stopped."
There has also been a significant rise in theft from retailers after the Covid pandemic, which coincides with the rise in household bills and the price of food.
However, Mr Higginson has dismissed the idea that the increase in shoplifting is due to people struggling with cost of living pressures.
He said: "People are not stealing the food to eat they're stealing very high value items that can be traded and sold."
By contrast, a boss from a firm that provides shops and supermarkets with security has said that his staff has reported a change in the types of thieves they are dealing with - with some now being pensioners who are struggling to keep up with the rising living costs.
John Nussbaum, director of service for retail at Kingdom Security, said: "We've seen a massive increase in pensioners shoplifting, putting a jar of coffee in their bag and one in the trolley, that sort of thing.
"For us over the last 12 months, we've got this different level of crime now. We're now experiencing something different - pensioners, people who don't normally shoplift."
He added: "We've had instances of mothers caught shoplifting when they're with their kids."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My sister took her own life after making sick pact with online chat room stranger who flew over from US to watch her die
Aimee had been a happy child but withdrew into an online forum during the pandemic 'RABBIT HOLE OF DESPAIR' My sister took her own life after making sick pact with online chat room stranger who flew over from US to watch her die Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WRITER has described how a man flew from the US to watch her sister take her own life after meeting on a "sick" online forum. Adele Zeynep Walton, 26, told how her sister Aimee was discovered dead by cops in a hotel room in October 2022. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Adele and Aimee Zeynep Walton, pictured as children Credit: instagram/@adele_walton 5 Adele Zeynep Walton, 26, described how her sister was found dead after being on an online forum Credit: instagram/@adele_walton 5 Adele and Aimee seen together as little kids Credit: instagram/@adele_walton Aimee, who was just 21-years-old at the time, was found with a total stranger, who had flown from the US to watch her die. The sisters - who were raised in Southampton, Hampshire, both had active online lives growing up, but Aimee more so. Adele said that Aimee, who was neurodivergent, was bullied as a teenager and turned to online communities instead. When the pandemic hit, Aimee withdrew even further into the online world, her sister - writing in The Telegraph - explained. She broke up with her boyfriend and spent an increasing amount of time in her room. The first Covid lockdown in England was announced in March 2020, and the third was on January 2021. It was in October 2022 that Adele - who was 25 at the time - and her parents were told that Aimee was dead. Aimee was found in a hotel room in Slough, Berkshire, 60 miles away from her home - with a stranger. They had met through a sick online forum that "partners" up people looking to end their own lives. This forum was also how she got her hands on the substance that killed her - reportedly from Kenneth Law, who has been linked to 88 deaths in the UK. According to The New York Times, the forum was founded by two men who run several "incel" websites. Adele took it upon herself to visit the thread and said many of the posts said: "Your family don't care about you" and "You should do it." She told The Guardian that the man who was with her little sister could have been "living out a sick fantasy as an incel who wants to see a young and vulnerable woman end her life'. The man told police he had been working for the 11 days he spent in the hotel room with Aimee. Adele wrote in The Telegraph: "This forum has taken at least 50 UK lives, including my sister. "From looking at the forum myself, I can see just how easy it is to end up in a rabbit hole of despair, where vulnerable users are told their loved ones don't care about them. "Being informed by police that Aimee died in a hotel room with a stranger who she met on this forum, and who flew from the US to witness her death, still haunts me." Adele now campaigns about the harms of the online world and has written a book called Logging Off: The Human Cost of Our Digital World. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. 5 The pair grew up in Southampton, Hampshire Credit: instagram/@adele_walton
Edinburgh Live
7 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh chef who started own restaurant at 23 now one of 'Scotland's best'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An award-winning Edinburgh founder chef has discussed the difficulties of being a young restaurateur in the capital's vibrant hospitality sector. Jun Au, from Polwarth, admits he was never any good at school when it came to academics and so he knew he wanted to do something more 'physical.' At age 18 he set his sights on becoming a chef and honed his art working in the kitchens on Castle Terrace and the Green Store on Victoria Street before its closure. After earning a degree in hospitality, he ventured into the world of PR, representing several businesses in London. But when the Covid pandemic hit, the PR firm lost all of their clients which led to him moving back to Edinburgh with some saved up cash. Feeling there was nothing to lose, he decided to launch Pomelo at the age of 23 on Strathearn Road. Now in his current location on Sciennes Road, the 27-year-old has tasted success, earning an Acorn award as well as being named "Best Asian Chef in Scotland' by the Asian Catering Federation and one of CODE 30 under 30 in 2025. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. 'I would say it was the best time for us to start out,' he said. 'Lockdown started relaxing and people were allowed outside again, and with us being a new eatery, we drew them in. 'We rode that wave of enthusiasm but I was quite naive having never run a business before. It was a steep learning curve. You have a lot to think about as a small business such as staffing costs, taxes and your bills." It has not been all plain sailing, with Jun arguing more needs to be done to help the sector during a period of rising costs. 'The biggest difficulty of running a restaurant in Edinburgh is monetary,' he said. 'Prices are skyrocketing and on top of that you have high rents, taxes and growing wages. 'I know they have to find a difficult balance but hospitality is one of the largest employers in the country. They have put a burden on restaurant owners and small businesses have a lot of pressure on them." 'My advice to anyone starting out is be flexible and nimble so you are able to switch things up when costs rise.' Jun does not feel his youth has held him back and credits his staff and family for helping making the venture a success. 'For me I was never a party person,' he said. 'I liked to be by myself and now I like to be with my wife and dog. 'The people around me made a lot more sacrifices. My staff work long hours to support the business and my wife is my biggest supporter. 'She is my front of house manager who handles all the admin which I don't have the capacity to deal with. She sacrifices so much which means a lot to me. 'My parents have also put so much effort in, with my mum continuing to help out with the accounting. My chef team is also amazing. It is so hard to find competent people who really want to work and have a passion for that work.' Winning an Acorn and being recognised by his peers was important for Jun as he admits he suffered from impostor syndrome during the early days. 'When you are as young as I am, you can be a little scared or concerned you are doing the right thing,' he said. 'You definitely have to be really passionate about when starting out as you work a lot of hours. 'I am very not calm at all. But I see my anxiety as an advantage, I never switch off and I do not know if that is a super power however if it is, then it is the worst one you can have.' Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Jun describes Pomelo as creating a menu inspired by the three chefs' heritage. At present there is a Chinese, Filipino and Maltese chef who all borrow from their own life experiences and childhoods. Jun grew up in a Chinese family who explored their culture through food, whether it was his mother cooking in the kitchen or his grandmother passing down recipes. He believes has created a space where diners can have fun exploring fusion cuisine. Things like the Pomelo chicken sandwich, which is made using a pineapple flavoured brioche style bun with a cookie-like crust on top, filled with fried chicken, encapsulates perfectly what Jun and his staff are all about. 'I would say we are fun,' he said. 'The menu is really inspired by our childhoods and our heritage while also focusing on produce that is in season.' Pomelo is open for brunch and dinner bookings. To visit Pomelo's website, click here.
North Wales Chronicle
9 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Civil Service workforce up 2,000 to almost 20-year high, figures suggest
A total of 550,000 people were employed in the Civil Service as of March 2025, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is up from 548,000 in December 2024 and a rise of 1% year-on-year from 544,000 in March 2024. Headcount fell to 416,000 in June 2016, the month of the EU referendum. Since that date, the total has risen steadily, driven chiefly by the impact of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government announced in April this year that it planned to cut around 2,100 staff from the Cabinet Office, as part of a plan to shrink the Civil Service and reduce the cost of bureaucracy. Some 1,200 roles will disappear through redundancies, while 900 will be transferred to other departments. The latest Civil Service headcount of 550,000 is nearly a third higher (32%) than it was in 2016, or an increase of 134,000. Of the 550,000, almost 443,000 are full-time roles and the remainder are part-time positions. The last time the quarterly headcount was higher than the current figure was in June 2006, when it stood at 553,000. The total was on a downwards path during the second half of the 2000s and this trend continued into the 2010s until the EU referendum in 2016, after which the headcount began to climb. It grew by 40,000 in the years between 2016 and the start of the pandemic, as thousands of people were recruited to manage the complex and lengthy Brexit process. There was then a further jump once the pandemic was under way, as the Government hired staff to oversee huge projects such as the furlough scheme, testing for Covid-19 and the rollout of the vaccination programme. Headcount increased by 56,000 between March 2020, when the first lockdown began, and March 2022. By June 2024, just ahead of the general election on July 4, the total had reached at 546,000, since when the figure has increased by a further 4,000. Responding to the data, a Government spokesperson said: 'This increase is driven by recruitment to operational roles, including tax collectors and probation officers. 'As part of our Plan for Change, we are creating a more agile and productive state – reducing back-office costs to deliver savings of over £2 billion by 2030 and targeting spending on front line services. 'We have already announced a new cross-government fund for exit schemes to reduce staffing numbers over the next two years, as well as introducing measures to make it quicker and easier to remove poor performers from post.' Chancellor Rachel Reeves said in March that Civil Service running costs would be reduced by 15% by the end of the decade. As well as abolishing quangos such as NHS England, ministers have committed to increasing the proportion of civil servants working in digital and data roles, creating a workforce 'fit for the future'. Two Government departments together account for more than a third of the full Civil Service headcount: the Department for Work & Pensions (17.6% of the total) and the Ministry of Justice (17.5%). The next largest are HM Revenue & Customs (12.9%), the Ministry of Defence (10.5%) and the Home Office (9.2%). These five departments together account for just over two-thirds of the total headcount.
