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Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Malay Mail
‘Feel they can rob with impunity': UK police warn of brazen shoplifters as cases top 500,000
LONDON, Aug 16 — Some shoplifters 'feel they can rob shops with impunity', a British policing chief has said, reported PA Media/dpa. Katy Bourne, the national lead for shoplifting at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said more robust police interventions and 'meaningful criminal justice measures' are needed to prevent reoffending. Shoplifting hit a record high in 2024, with the number of offences surpassing 500,000 for the first time, up 20 per cent from 2023. Writing in the Telegraph on Saturday, the police and crime commissioner for Sussex said: 'What on Earth has happened to our high streets and our city centres? Why do some people feel they can rob shops with impunity and abuse and assault staff without any fear of retribution?' There must be rehabilitation for some offenders as well as 'significant alternatives to our overcrowded prisons', she said. Sussex will see 'the first electronic tagging scheme for persistent shoplifters', Bourne said. The force will work with the courts on how to issue the tags and with industries to see how they can be monitored. The policing chief also criticised the 'purist application of data protection law' advising shopkeepers not to share images of suspected offenders. She said she is pleased that forces including Sussex Police will roll out live facial recognition cameras in specially adapted police vans. It was reported that officers spoke to a shopkeeper in Wrexham after he posted a sign referring to 'scumbag shoplifters'. North Wales Police said it did not appear he had committed any offence. Bourne said it appeared to be an example of 'warranted officers of the law policing the potential for hurt feelings'. She asked: 'How have we got to the point where police forces are more worried about upsetting career criminals than catching them?' Jon Cummins, Assistant Chief Constable from Avon and Somerset Police, told BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme that wider societal issues including poverty, the cost-of-living crisis and addiction are contributing to the shoplifting spike. He said on Saturday: 'If they see somebody shoplifting, my advice to them is they must call us ... not to intervene. 'We clearly want to be attending and will be attending reports.' Bourne also cautioned against members of the public attempting to apprehend shoplifters. They may be armed and people 'run the risk' of committing assault, unlawful restraint or wrongful arrest. Earlier this week, supermarket chain Iceland said it would offer customers a £1 (US$1.35) reward if they spot shoplifters in the act. The retailer's boss, Richard Walker, said any shoppers who point out offenders to members of staff will receive a payment to their membership card. — Bernama-PA Media/dpa
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Pro-Russian hackers claim to have targeted several UK websites
A pro-Russian hacking group has claimed to have successfully targeted a range of UK websites, including local councils and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, during a three-day campaign. In a series of social media posts, the group calling itself NoName057(16) suggested it had made a number of websites temporarily inaccessible, although it is understood the attacks were not wholly successful. The hackers sought to flood a range of websites with internet traffic in what is known as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The group wrote on X: 'Britain is invested in the escalation of the [Ukraine] conflict, and we are disconnecting its resources.' Its success was limited, however, with councils in Blackburn and Darwen and Exeter among those reporting that their website was unaffected despite the hacking group's claims of success. A number of other allegedly targeted organisations, including the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Harwich International Port, the National Highways and Cardiff city council were unavailable for comment. Where websites did temporarily become inaccessible due to the sudden surge of traffic, they were back operating within hours, officials said. A spokesperson at Arun district council said: 'We can confirm that we did experience problems with our website [on Tuesday morning] starting around 7.15am, our website was fully operational by 11.30am. We are aware of the claims made on X and continue to investigate.' The attack is a rerun of an attempt made last October to disrupt the websites of half a dozen councils. It did not put at risk the data of users or residents but disabled the websites for a short period as they were swamped by traffic. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said at the time that the agency had 'provided guidance' to affected local authorities. 'Whilst DDoS attacks are relatively low in sophistication and impact, they can cause disruption by preventing legitimate users from accessing online services,' it said. Since its launch in 2022, NoName057(16) has used such attacks to disrupt the running of a range of Ukrainian, European and American government agencies and media outlets. In January 2023, it targeted the websites of Czech presidential candidates in a first attempt to attack political figures. Research published last summer by the cybersecurity company Bridewell found that 63% of businesses in the government sector had experienced a ransomware attack over the past 12 months. The National Audit Office warned in January that the 'cyber threat to UK government is severe and advancing quickly'. The NCSC was forced to issue new guidance this week after a spate of cyber-attacks on retailers that appear to have been made possible through criminals impersonating IT help desks. They include attacks on Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods. The criminals had targeted IT help desks to change passwords and reset authentication processes as they sought to gain access to systems. Of the attacks on retailers, the NCSC said it was 'not yet in a position to say if they are linked, if this is a concerted campaign by a single actor or whether there is no link between them at all'.
