Police ‘abandoning shoplifting as a crime'
Chris Wootton, chief financial officer at Frasers, which owns Sports Direct, Flannels and House of Fraser, said that its stores had seen an uptick in crime and questioned whether theft was being treated seriously by authorities.
He said: 'It doesn't help that the police have basically abandoned shoplifting as a crime.'
Frustration has been growing among retailers who are battling an epidemic of shoplifting and assaults on staff across the UK, which is costing them billions of pounds.
Mr Wootton said: 'I can definitely say, over the last few years, our staff are suffering more … whether it's verbal or physical [attacks], which is obviously not good.'
Police forces have been criticised for not doing enough to crack down on criminals, with 60pc of respondents to a survey of British Retail Consortium (BRC) members saying that last year they believed the police response to retail crimes was either 'poor' or 'very poor'.
Retail crime soared to its highest level on record in the year to August 2024, according to BRC data, rising by more than 50pc to above 2,000 incidents a day.
In an attempt to address the issue, the Labour Government has pledged to spend £200m on neighbourhood policing and will make it a more serious offence to assault a shopworker.
It has also ditched legislation that made it a lower-level offence to steal goods worth less than £200.
Dame Diana Johnson, the policing and crime minister, earlier this week vowed to punish thieves, whatever their background amid a simultaneous rise in opportunistic middle-class shoplifting as well as crimes perpetrated by organised gangs.
Mr Wootton said: 'If the police are saying 'we're going to invest more in protecting [staff]', that's absolutely a great thing, and I hope they go and do it.'
Alex Goss, assistant chief constable of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: 'We know retail crime has a significant impact on victims, damages businesses and communities and goes far beyond financial loss.
'Over the last two years, we have made significant strides in our fight against retail crime, strengthening relationships with retailers and greatly improving information sharing, which has resulted in a number of high-harm offenders being brought to justice, and the new retail crime strategy builds on this even further.'
Impact on Frasers
Despite the rise in retail crime, Mr Wootton insisted Frasers had not seen a 'material' impact on its finances as a result, adding: 'We've got pretty strong processes and procedures.'
His comments came as Frasers posted a 7.4pc fall in sales to £4.9bn in the year to April 27. Shares in the company fell as much as 4pc after the announcement but later pared back these losses to rise by almost 2pc.
It said there had been an 'exceptionally weak period' after last year's Budget, when the Chancellor unveiled a string of tax rises for businesses.
Mr Wootton said: 'The period around that October and November was absolutely diabolical. I've been with the business eight years, and that's the worst month or two I've ever seen.'
The company said it was working to mitigate the impact of £50m in extra costs linked to the Budget and that recent sales trends 'have been more encouraging' in 2025.
Mr Wootton said: '[It is] frustrating with the government penalising industries which really don't need penalising, like hospitality and retail. There's a definite economic illiteracy going on there, to say the least.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Vivek Ramaswamy reveals single mom was pummeled by 'thugs' during mass brawl in Cincinnati
Vivek Ramaswamy says he's spoken to one of the victims of the shocking mass brawl in Cincinnati over the weekend, a single mother who was at a friend's birthday party when chaos ensued. His reveal comes as Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced five people have been charged in connection with the melee that took place in the city's downtown Friday. Ramaswamy was referring to a woman who, as Vice President JD Vance put it, was 'sucker punched' by a 'grown man' during the fight. The former presidential candidate, now running for Ohio governor, confirmed he'd communicated with the victim Monday. 'I spoke to Holly earlier today (the woman tragically assaulted in Cincinnati this weekend). She's a single working mom who went to a friend's birthday party. It's unconscionable that there were no police present in that area of Cincinnati on a Friday night, or even an ambulance to take her to the hospital.' Ramaswamy - who was originally supposed to be the co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk - said that Holly has not received any messages from state or local officials yet, aside from a police detective. He then promised to have a no-nonsense attitude towards crime if he were elected in 2026. 'Leftists like to lecture about 'systemic injustice' while thugs turn our turn cities into war zones. I'm done with their excuses. As governor, I'll make sure they're behind bars, not running wild,' he wrote. 'Our cops will have the green light to restore order—no apologies. Holly appreciates the kind words and prayers from patriots across the country, and hopes that the publicity around her story ensures that local & state leaders clean up our failing cities. We hope to visit Holly soon as she recovers.' Theetge did not specify the charges in a press conference Monday but said they would be the first of many. 'We have five we have charged, and anticipate more,' she said. While Theetge wouldn't say the condition of the victims, Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober said they suffered 'pretty serious injuries' and would be 'recovering from this for a while.' Ramaswamy is the second major politician to speak out against the violence, after fellow Ohioan and Vice President JD Vance spoke out in a speech Monday. The Vice President didn't hold back as he made comment on horrific footage of the attack that unfolded on Friday night in downtown Cincinnati, with the victims, a man and woman, being swarmed by a violent crowd. He said: 'What I saw, and I haven't seen the full context, but what I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person. 'It's disgusting and I hope every single one of those people who engage in violence is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 'I don't know the full context, but the one part that I saw that was really gruesome is you had a grown man who sucker punched a middle-age woman,' he added, referencing the woman, Holly, who Ramaswamy spoke to. 'That person ought to go to jail for a very long time - and frankly, he's lucky there weren't some better people around because they would've handled it themselves. 'We have got to make great American cities safe again for families and children, the only way to destroy that street violence is to take the thugs who engage in that violence and throw their asses in prison.' In the shocking clip, a man in a white t-shirt is can be seen being shoved to ground by two men and repeatedly beaten as other members of the crowd jeer and join in. The gang beat the man for nearly a minute as he lay in the middle of the street, seemingly stepping on his head multiple times. When the barrage of attacks temporarily stopped, he is seen attempting to stand - but immediately fell over in apparent disorientation. One attacker yelled out 'my man's drunk'. A woman in a black dress rushed to his aid, but was attacked by the crowd, suffering two blows to the face. The impact caused her to fall, with her head slamming the pavement. She became unconscious as blood spewed from her mouth. The Friday night assault at the intersection of Fourth and Elm Streets started with a verbal dispute between at least two men, according to police. The carnage left at least two people, the unidentified male and female victim, injured. A good Samaritan rushed them to a local hospital in the aftermath, WKRC reported. Investigators have also received tips on some of the attackers' identities, Kober said. 'I would ask... that the public play a part in this, because stuff like this shouldn't happen in our city, but when it does, we need people to step forward, that way we can bring these people to justice.' Kober argued there is 'no place in society' for the violence displayed Friday night and, in separate remarks to WLWT, called the brawl 'disgusting'. What's equally disgusting is those who chose to watch and record instead of calling 911, attempting to defuse the situation or render aid.' Police Chief Teresa Theetge said the incident was not connected to the jazz festival that was going on in Cincinnati that weekend. 'This was a sudden dispute between individuals following a verbal altercation,' she added. Elon Musk had waded in on the brawl, posting to his social media that he was frustrated with a lack of response to the incident. Musk, apparently frustrated by the heinous act of violence, took to his social media platform X to question what he suggested was a lack of response to the incident. 'Why zero stories?' the Tesla CEO asked Sunday, retweeting a post from the End Wokeness X account alleging that the attack wasn't being covered by America's major news outlets. End Wokeness posted a tweet early Sunday afternoon claiming CNN, ABC, NBC, Fox News, The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others, had failed to cover the attack. By late Sunday evening the terrifying assault had been covered by several local and national media outlets, including the Daily Mail and Fox News. The central business district and riverfront area where the assault took place has seen a 25 percent increase in violence compared to last year, according to Cincinnati police data published July 21. The data also shows that there were 12 aggravated assaults in the city between January 1 through July 21, compared to 16 during the same time period last year.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Southport, one year on: Seaside town still in mourning readies itself for an 'emotional day' as the first anniversary of horror killing spree that left three girls dead, families torn apart and all of Britain in shock arrives
Exactly a year ago sadistic Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana savaged children at a Taylor Swift-themed summer holiday dance class. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, all died and eight more children aged between seven and 13 suffered knife wounds, as did dance teacher Leanne Lucas while trying to protect the children. To remember the devastating day, the Merseyside town will hold a three-minute silence and lower flags on public buildings. But the families of the three girls who were murdered have asked for no flowers to be left at schools or the scene of the killings and for no vigils or large public gatherings. To respect their wishes, public bodies will not call the day an anniversary. Patrick Hurley, the MP for Southport told The Guardian it would be a 'really emotional day' for the town which bore the 'long-lasting detrimental psychological and emotional impact of the attack.' He added: 'We know that what happened in July last year is always going to be a part of the town's history but there's so much more than that. 'It's a day to remember the girls who were killed and it's a day to remember the response of the community when everybody came out and supported everbody else.' In an attack that prosecutors described as a 'meticulously-planned rampage' the knife-wielding maniac knifed as many children as he could within 12 minutes. Businessman John Hayes, who rushed to the scene from his office nearby and attempted to overpower Rudakubana, was also stabbed. Others nearby who heard screams also hurried to the scene and police arrived, bringing the horrific incident to an end. One of the officers who was called was Sergeant Greg Gillespie. Describing his experience of the traumatic, he told the BBC about the 'fear' he saw in people's faces - even recalling seeing a little girl he thought to be dead. He said: 'I don't think there's any amount of training or experience that can quite prepare you to deal with something like that or to process it. 'Everyone now knows the sequence of events that occurred that day - that wasn't known to us at the time.' He added that all they knew was that a child had been stabbed and 'the offender was in the building.' Sergeant Gillespie, alongside PC Luke Holden and PCSO Timothy Parry all arrived at the scene but without any understanding of the scale of the stabbing. Sergeant Gillespie and PC Holden entered the building 'shoulder to shoulder' and were immediately faced with 17-year-old Rudakubana, who 'showed' them the blood-stained knife. All three officers were recognised at the Police Federation of England and Wales 2025 bravery awards. PC Holden told the BBC: 'My hyper-vigilance increased 1,000% and I was wary of everyone in every situation. 'You start thinking worst case of every situation you deal with. All the officers said the attack changed their lives. Rudakubana was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 52 years - one of the highest on record - after pleading guilty to the three murders and 10 attempted murders, plus other offences, including making the deadly toxin ricin, in January. Police intelligence officers are monitoring social media to look for any attempts to stir up disorder in or around Southport this week. They want to prevent a repeat of the anti-immigration riots that spread across England after the attack last summer. Meanwhile, Southport's town hall gardens are set to undergo a £10million renovation to commemorate the girls. Their families said they hoped the new square and community space would serve as 'a legacy inspired by our three beautiful amazing girls'. There is currently an inquiry investigating how various agencies, including the police, the courts, the NHS and social services, failed to spot the risk posed by Rudakubana, 18, in the run-up to the attack. Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent, the Government's counter-terror programme, three times but his case was closed prematurely because he did not have a clear political or religious motivation. He had also been caught repeatedly with a knife. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs that a review of his contact with the programme found he had 'admitted to having carried a knife more than ten times, yet the action against him was far too weak'. She said he was referred to Prevent repeatedly because he was 'expressing interest in school shootings, the London Bridge attack, the IRA, MI5 and the Middle East'. Tablet computers at his home showed he downloaded papers on historical violence by the Nazis, Genghis Khan and even relatively obscure conflicts in French colonies during the 17th century – plus footage of beheadings and torture. As well as the digital discoveries, a machete and scabbard, a set of arrows and a black holdall were found in Rudakubana's bedroom at the family home in Banks, Lancashire, a village five miles north of Southport. The Prevent review, conducted since the summer, has concluded that 'too much weight was placed on the absence of ideology' and that his case 'should not have been closed' by counter-terror police who were assessing whether he posed a threat. On the second day of the hearings, a series of moving impact statements from the parents of four of the girls who attended the holiday club, at the Hart Space, in the Merseyside seaside town, were read to a hushed council chamber at Liverpool Town Hall. Sir Adrian said Rudakubana perpetrated 'an almost unimaginable but nonetheless mercilessly calculated' killing spree at the Taylor Swift-themed dance club. The retired judge described the attack as 'one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history.' Sir Adrian said it was 'truly critical' that the inquiry secured answers for the families of Rudakubana's victims and made recommendations to prevent anything similar happening in the future. The hearings will examine why several agencies, including the police, the courts, the NHS and social services, who all had contact with Rudukabana, failed to identify the risk he posed. It will also investigate whether the attack could or should have been prevented. Sir Adrian said that one consideration for the inquiry would be whether courts should be allowed to impose restrictions on people suspected of planning serious violent offences, even if they have not committed any crime. It will look into whether measures, such as imposing curfews, electronic tags, internet bans or restrictions on social media use should be available in such circumstances. Sir Adrian said the inquiry will examine whether Prevent needs to be overhauled to address those drawn into extreme violence without a clear 'religious or political cause.' The chairman said there appeared to be several 'undisputed and troubling facts' that already suggested Rudakubana's attack was far from being 'an unforeseeable catastrophic event.' By July last year, he had been on the radar of various State agencies for several years, had a 'known predilection for knife crime' and posed a 'very serious and significant risk of violent harm,' Sir Adrian said. 'Furthermore, his ability, unhindered, to access gravely violent material on the internet, to order knives online at a young age, and then to leave home unsupervised to commit the present attack, speaks to a wholesale and general failure to intervene effectively, or indeed at all, to address the risks that he posed,' he added. Police discovered a sinister arsenal of weapons, including a bow and arrow, two machetes, two large kitchen knives, a sledgehammer, materials to make Molotov cocktail explosives and ingredients to make the deadly toxin ricin, at Rudakubana's home following the attack. The widespread rioting and civil unrest following the murders is not being examined by the inquiry. The hearings have been adjourned until September, when statements from the remaining relatives of victims and survivors are expected to continue.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Parents' terror as nursery goes into lockdown amid quadruple stabbing in London that left two men dead and a third fighting for his life in hospital
A mother has revealed she was 'terrified' after receiving a call from her two-year-old son's nursery to say that there had been a fatal quadruple stabbing outside a business just minutes away. Emergency services rushed to Long Lane, Southwark, south London, at around 1pm on Monday after receiving reports of a stabbing which has since left two men dead. When police and medics arrived on the road, which is near to London Bridge and Tower Bridge, they discovered that four people had suffered stab wounds. As a result, a 58-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene before a 27-year-old man later died in hospital - sparking the launch of a murder probe by detectives. The man who has been detained in connection with the incident, who police say is in his 30s, is in a critical condition and fighting for his life in hospital. Meanwhile, the other man, also in his 30s, has suffered injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing. However, the stabbing has shaken some locals so badly that they have revealed they are now considering fleeing the area over safety concerns. One concerned mother who lives nearby told MailOnline how she heard of the stabbing through her child's nursery, which lies just minutes away from the scene which last night was crawling with forensics officers. The mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said: '[The nursery] sent us an alert while I was at work saying that there'd been a stabbing and that the roads would be cordoned off. 'It's terrifying. When I walked down to the nursery I was trying to find out information about whether it was targeted or random, because you hear a lot about stabbings in London. 'The police said there had been a stabbing and that it's a very serious incident, but the danger has been contained. 'It's really shocking. To have this in an area where I'm raising a child makes me worry that I shouldn't be living somewhere like this now that we have a family.' Natasha Ennin, Southwark Council's cabinet member for community safety and neighbourhoods, said she was 'horrified and deeply saddened' by the deaths in the borough. She added that her 'heartfelt condolences' go out to the families and friends of those involved and called on anyone with information to report it. The area was cordoned off with police tape last night, with Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond of the Met saying investigations are underway to discover the full circumstances of the 'shocking incident'. She continued: 'At this point, we do not believe it to be terrorism-related and there is no further risk to the public. 'There will be a heavy police presence in the area throughout [Monday] and I would encourage anyone with information to speak with officers or contact the Met by other means.' A London Ambulance Service spokesperson added: 'We were called at 1.04pm (28 July) to reports of a stabbing on Long Lane, SE1. 'We sent a number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, incident response officers, a command support vehicle and paramedics from our tactical response unit. 'We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London's Air Ambulance, which consisted of a paramedic and a doctor in a car. 'We treated four people at the scene. We took three patients to major trauma centres as a priority. Very sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a person was pronounced dead at the scene.' Anyone who wishes to report information to the police can call 101, report online or contact @METCC on X and quote CAD3499/28.
