Lincolnshire is home to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses, employing more than 300,000 people. From independent retailers on our high streets to larger employers serving customers across the region, these businesses work incredibly hard to create jobs, support local communities, and drive economic growth. Yet many are finding it harder than ever to operate.
Businesses have already been hit by higher employment costs following the Government's increase to National Insurance, Business Rates, and a whole host of other tax rises and anti-growth regulations. But many are now facing another challenge that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the rise in shoplifting.
Across England and Wales, the most recent statistics available show that more than 500,000 shoplifting offences occur each year. Even here in Lincolnshire where crime tends to be lower than the rest of the country, the situation is not much better. Shoplifting offences rose by a further 5% over the past year in record, building on what was already near record high.
Local shops and retailers have been impacted. I’ve spoken to many local businesses, including Sainsbury's in Bourne where I discussed some of the challenges facing retailers and their staff. While the financial cost of theft is significant, what struck me most was the impact on the people working in these businesses every day. Shop workers should never have to face abuse, intimidation, or threats simply for doing their jobs.
According to the British Retail Consortium, there have been 20.4 million incidents of shoplifting, in just one year, costing businesses around £2 billion, and ACF reports that there were 950,000 cases of verbal abuse against shop staff in 2025 alone. Behind every one of those statistics are employees who are simply trying to earn a living and serve their local community.
Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. When businesses are forced to spend more on security, absorb losses from theft, or deal with staff shortages caused by safety concerns, the consequences are felt by everyone. Business owners have their own families to provide for too, while their businesses want to grow, reinvest, and provide local jobs, with thriving high streets dependent upon businesses having the confidence to do just that.
The Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, backed by local authorities and funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund set up by the previous Government, runs a Business Watch Scheme providing radios to shopkeepers to allow businesses to communicate quickly, share information about suspicious activity, and work together to deter offenders. It is a practical example of local organisations stepping up to support our communities.
However, local initiatives can only go so far without more Government support for policing. I was pleased to work with police to secure an increase in the number of foot patrols in Grantham town centre, alongside their regular neighbourhood patrols in Bourne and elsewhere, but resources remain constrained. Alongside my Lincolnshire MP colleagues, I have consistently campaigned for Lincolnshire Police to receive the fairer funding they need to keep our community safe, and we will continue that campaign.
Our local businesses deserve better. They deserve a Government that understands the pressures they face, police forces with the resources to relentlessly tackle crime, and communities where staff can go to work without fear of abuse or intimidation. I will continue making that case in Parliament and stand up for the businesses and workers who do so much for Grantham and Bourne.
