John Lewis boss says shoplifting has become an ‘epidemic’

Shoplifting has become an “epidemic” in the UK, with incidents not always investigated by police, according to the boss of John Lewis.

Dame Sharon White, chairwoman of the John Lewis Partnership, said shop workers are facing “abuse and attacks” from thieves.

She is among 10 of the UK’s biggest retailers who have agreed to fund a police operation to crack down on shoplifting, called Project Pegasus.

The operation will use CCTV and facial recognition technology to identify shoplifters and organised gangs.

Shop thefts have more than doubled in the past six years, reaching eight million in 2022, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Dame Sharon also called for a royal commission to help support retailers and a law to make the abuse of a retail worker an offence.

Iceland executive chairman Richard Walker said his company is spending “more than ever” on security, yet “serious incidents have never been higher”.

He urged the government to review police funding and resources, as well as the powers of security officers.