Tesco to beef up security & slap tags on FOOD to stop surge of ‘desperate’ shoplifters sparked by cost of living crisis | The Sun
SUPERMARKETS are beefing up their security and slapping extra tags on everyday food as they see a huge rise in shoplifting.
Tesco chairman John Allan revealed "desperate people seeking desperate measures" as more people try and nick food as costs soar.
He told Times Radio some people had "literally got no money left" and were being forced to take such drastic action to survive.
But the police were seeing more cases of shoplifting groceries from supermarkets and couldn't always respond, he warned.
The former President of the CBI said: "Shoplifting is a concern and you know, getting the police to take action and respond to cases where we and other retailers… this is a concern right across the retail trade.
"I don't sympathise with people who shoplift, but I can understand desperate people taking desperate measures, sometimes when you know, they've literally got no money left."
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More security tags are being slapped on items and extra guards put on the door to try and stop them – but he added: "There's a limit to the amount you can do.
"Yes, we are putting more security presence into those of our stores that are most impacted by shoplifting.
"But we're doing that selectively."
It comes as the UK faces huge price inflation of every-day items like milk, butter, crisps and oil.
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Prices in shops have risen by their highest levels since 2008, according to gloomy stats from the British Retail Consortium.
Prices are being driven up partly thanks to the Ukraine war hiking costs for farmers.
Inflation hit double-digit figures last month and is predicted to rise to 13 per cent later this year.
In July, The Sun reported that supermarkets were putting security tags on blocks of cheese.
Cheddar was tagged at an Aldi in Wolverhampton, while lamb chops were placed in secure plastic boxes at a nearby Co-op.
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Tesco attached anti-theft devices on baby milk and joints of lamb in Streatham, South London.
Food poverty expert Dr Sinéad Furey warned that “stealing to eat” is “proof we need policy solutions so resorting to crime does not become a mainstream means of securing basic essentials”.
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