Supermarket staff have been told they may face the sack if they challenge shoplifters brazenly walking out of stores with stolen goods. One worker, who is based at a Co-op store in west London, said he has seen thieves help themselves to goods worth hundreds of pounds. One piece of shocking footage shows a gang of machete-wielding thugs raiding a Co-op store in London. Staff were threatened by the criminals and there was also a store worker behind the kiosk when the raid began. Police closed 295,589 shoplifting cases without identifying a suspect in 2024 to 2025 - the equivalent of officers shelving 34 offences an hour.

Source: Daily Mail March 25, 2026 15:58 UTC