We believe this country is going through a shoplifting crisis and appears in our view to be almost decriminalised. All cases need investigation by the police (no matter the value of the items). First offences should attract substantial community service and mandatory custodial sentences after that.

The government, police and judiciary all need to work together to overcome this problem because we believe that it hits shop staff morale, that it grows a sense of lawlessness and that, ultimately, it costs the consumer.