Around 500 of the country's most prolific shoplifters will face tougher restrictions under a new £2.5 million police pilot announced by the Home Secretary on Wednesday. Up to 16 police forces across England and Wales will take part in the Prolific Retail Offender Pilot, launched during Safer Business Action Week.

Each participating force will identify around 30 of its most persistent retail offenders and draw up a personalised plan for each one, bringing together police, probation and other partners to build stronger court cases and tackle the causes of repeat offending. Activity is expected to begin in phases in early 2027, ahead of a full 12-month rollout from spring.

Small group behind most retail crime

The scheme follows figures showing that just nine per cent of offenders are responsible for more than half of all retail crime convictions. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "A small number of offenders commit a disproportionate amount of shop theft. They wreak havoc on our high streets, leave businesses out of pocket and make retail workers scared to go to work."

Forces taking part include the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police and West Yorkshire Police. Police-recorded shop theft fell by four per cent in the year ending March 2026, following closer working between police, retailers and the security industry.

Organised retail crime crackdown

The pilot builds on the work of Opal, policing's national intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime. Since launching its dedicated organised retail crime capability in May 2024, the unit has supported 103 criminal investigations, leading to 287 arrests and 221 court outcomes, including custodial sentences totalling more than 129 years. It has identified 750 offenders linked to more than 10,000 offences, responsible for an estimated £9.7 million in losses to retailers.