JUNKIES TAKE SHOP THEFTS TO NEW PEAK

Failure by the Government to deal with hardcore drug addicts stealing
to feed their habit is being blamed for record levels of shoplifting,
a crime that is becomingly increasingly violent.

Recorded thefts from shops in England and Wales rose to 309,397 last
year, up from around 306,000 in 2002, according to government
statistics released to Parliament last week by Home Office Minister
Paul Goggins.

Thefts have risen more than 20 per cent since 1990 - when the number
stood at 250,000 - and are more than double the number for 1970. The
rise contrasts sharply with figures released last week showing an
overall fall in non-violent crime in 2003.

Retailers say the statistics tell only a fraction of the story.
'Detected crime represents between a tenth and a twentieth of the
actual crime,' said Michael Schuck of the British Retail Consortium.

'The reality is now anything between four and five million shoplifting
incidents a year in the UK.' The total value of goods stolen is
thought to be about ?500m a year, an estimated of ?100 a year for each
household.

Experts say the vast majority of thefts are by gangs of hardcore drug
addicts who co-ordinate attacks on stores. An authoritative study in
Scotland found that the average addict commits 300 offences a year,
mostly shoplifting. Criminologists estimate that in certain cities,
such as Brighton, only around 30 offenders carry out most of the thefts.

'Shoplifting has serious economic consequences. It turns places into
no-go areas at night as people are put off venturing into town
centres,' Schuck said.