Warning as criminal gangs fuel rise in shoplifting

Businesses in the South East have warned shoppers to be vigilant as criminal gangs are "shoplifting to order" and reselling online.

Retailers say shoplifting is a huge problem in the run-up to Christmas with thieves using online marketplaces to sell stolen items.

Police warned that organised criminal gangs were running large-scale operations to steal goods to sell on.

"I believe they have lists on their phones when they come in," said Rebecca Hogben, of Tunbridge Wells Blue Diamond Garden Centre, which has been repeatedly targeted.

"It's very upsetting as a business because losses are crazy this year and of course it impacts us on how we run our centres," she added.

"Whether we have to cut back on other areas like staffing because we have to pay for the cost of the loss to our business."

She said the Jellycat range of cuddly toys had been a common target for shoplifters.

"We've had to put in place measures to deter the theft. We had started with tagging but were losing so many of them a week that we had to move the display."

An entire range of water bottles was also stolen, with a value of more than £500, she said.

Sussex Police said shoplifting was increasingly the work of organised gangs.

Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, told the BBC: "It pretty much is organised crime and certainly the gangs behind this are shoplifting to order and it has been on the increase, but police forces like Sussex are very aware.

"We are mapping these gangs. We have the intelligence and data so we can come after them."

Tracey Carter, Surrey development manager of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the annual cost to small businesses nationally - about £13bn - was "staggering".

Police warned shoppers hunting for Christmas bargains to watch out for items on online marketplaces that were surprisingly cheap.

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