'I run Britain's cheapest shop... everything costs 20p - but we're STILL fighting a crimewave'
The 20p Shop, nestled in the affluent market town of Otley, West Yorkshire, gained cult status among bargain hunters thanks to its rock-bottom prices and treasure trove of budget delights.
The small business, which flogs greetings cards, cutlery and even jewellery for pennies, has managed to stave off a pandemic, stubborn inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.
But now its owner has warned that the business - which relies on making the tiniest of profit margins - is under siege from shameless shoplifters stealing armfuls of stock, despite its ultra-low prices.
The shocking revelation comes amid new figures published last month that suggests shoplifting in England and Wales has reached record levels.
Steve Nelson, 67, said: 'We've got shoplifters - in a 20p shop. You tell me what kind of person does that?
'They'll pay 20p at the till just to make it look good - then on their way out, swipe a bunch of cards or plates.
'We've barred a couple. Believe it or not, some of them are pensioners.
'One paid 20p at the till, then walked to the table near the door and filled his bag up on the way out.
'I was just staggered. If he'd asked me for it, he could have just had it.
'When you've got pensioners stealing from a 20p shop, something's gone seriously wrong, hasn't it?'
The high street shop may only charge 20p per item, but the impact of shoplifting is no small loss.
Stock is bought in bulk, carefully sourced to allow profit margins of just pennies on each item. That makes each theft a serious financial blow.
Mr Nelson, who has worked on markets since he was eight years old, says thefts have surged in recent months - with some crooks allegedly swiping cards in bulk to flog at car boot sales.
He said: 'Cards are the worst, with people funding their own car boot sales by nicking them from us.
'Then they sell them for 50p each or something.
'If someone comes in and packs handfuls of cards into a carrier bag, they could cost me £30 or £40.
'People are just helping themselves to stuff that costs pennies.
'It just becomes incredibly frustrating. I could buy 100 tubes of super glue for £18 and if we sell the lot, great, we've made a couple of quid.
'But if somebody pinches a handful, what was the point of buying them in the first place? That's when you lose interest and think 'why I am doing this?''
The 20p Shop, which opened in 2017, has seen curious customers flock from far and wide in search of a bargain.
Locals often donate unwanted goods, while the shop is manned by kind-hearted volunteers because takings would not cover staff wages.
On a good day, the till might ring in around £150 - a figure that has to cover rent, rates and electricity.
Mr Nelson said hikes in utilities and the increased cost of wholesale stock had caused significant pressures, along with a 'mindless' council decision to paint double yellow lines outside the shop, leading to a drop in footfall.
He admitted: 'There are battles, whichever way you look. We're just going from one month to the next.
'Whether it's worth battling on, I don't know.'
Mr Nelson's son Stewart, 31, who helps run the store, admitted there had been talk of raising prices to 50p - but insisted it's not going to happen.
He said: 'The idea of keeping the shop going is hard because we just don't have enough money, and everything's going through the roof.
'We're very fortunate that people love the shop so much that they want to help out as volunteers.
'But we are not going to change the price. Our identity is The 20p Shop. That's how people know us.'
Shoppers rummaging through neatly arranged greetings cards, second-hand books, calendars and quirky bric-a-brac told Daily Mail the store was 'a hidden gem'.
Husband and wife Patricia and Alan Pickles, 81, left clutching two empty M&S biscuit tins - donated stock they plan to use for 'bits and pieces.'
Mrs Pickles, 78, from Otley, said: 'I think the shop is fantastic. Everyone loves a bargain - it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor. There's always something from everybody.
'It's incredible to think that you could even run a business as a 20p shop in this day and age. I don't know how they do it.'
Lee Lewis, 44, from Keighley, West Yorks, emerged with a bulging shopping bag and a total spend of just £1.40.
He said: 'The amount of stuff I've just picked up here - it's absolutely incredible.
'I got a portfolio holder, a wall-mounting clip for a camera, a lovely little pendant for my grandmother, a charging stand, and the film Crash, which I think is one of the best movies ever made.
'How anyone can run a shop these days where everything's 20p is beyond me. It's like a little Aladdin's cave for people trying to make ends meet.'
Regular visitor Jean Tricklebank, 72, said: 'People come from all around to visit The 20p Shop - towns that are well out of Otley.
'It's actually become a bit of tourist attraction. People make an effort to visit Otley so they can come and have a browse.'
Angie Stork, 49, started volunteering at the shop last year as a way to meet people after moving to Otley.
She said: 'I never get tired of hearing people say '20p? Is that all?'
'People can't believe it because you can't get you can't get anything for 20p these days. Not even a Milky Bar.
'We get all sorts of people in here, from all walks of life. People say one man's tat is another man's treasure, and I think that's why customers love the shop.'
The woes of The 20p Shop come as statistics released last month showed shoplifting has risen by 20 per cent and reached record levels.
Police recorded 530,643 offences in England and Wales in the year to March 2025 - the highest figure since records begun and up from 444,022 in the previous year.
Shoplifting has become an increasing nightmare for High Street shops, with only a tiny minority of offenders ever charged.
The crisis is illustrated by sickening CCTV revealing thieves casually walking out of stores with armfuls of high-value goods.
Footage from a Waitrose store in London's Notting Hill earlier this month showed two men leaving with a stash of steak and salmon while staff watched on - forbidden from doing anything due to company policy.
But elsewhere, shops have been fighting back, with two brave security guards seen grappling with a shoplifter trying to steal bottles of fizzy drink from a Greggs in nearby Hammersmith.
Footage filmed by Daily Mail showed a young man being forced to drop the items on the floor before leaving in a strop.
Since the pandemic, the Russia Ukraine conflict and soaring inflation, theft has soared in the UK, recently hitting the highest level ever seen.
While some shoplifting may be fuelled by cost of living pressures, police believe organised gangs targeting expensive goods like steak, wine and high-end electronics are largely to blame.
Last year, a national police unit set up to tackle the scourge of shoplifting across Britain identified more than 20 gangs and 200 criminals driving the epidemic.
The gangs, many believed to be East European, are responsible for millions of pounds of thefts each year, and are also suspected of human trafficking and exploiting vulnerable individuals.
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