Calls for more Met Police funding as shoplifting cases in London triple in four years

Shoplifting in London has trebled in the last five years, new data has revealed as the Mayor of London was urged to lobby the government for more funding for the Metropolitan Police.

Research from the Liberal Democrats showed that there were were 93,626 cases of shoplifting raised with the Metropolitan Police in 2024/2025 – up from 31,008 in 2020/2021.

The party, who are hoping to take control of Merton, Southwark and Ealing councils, have now called on Sir Sadiq Khan to ensure ministers plug the current funding gap in the Met Police budget and reverse the decision to shut some police station front counters in London.

The policy, which has also drawn criticism from Labour councillors and Assembly Members across the capital, was made as part of a series of “tough choices” in response to troubling finances at the force.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson for London Luke Taylor MP said: “London is a city of brilliant shopkeepers – and these shocking numbers remind us that Sadiq Khan’s failure to get more funding for policing is hitting them hard.

“He promised us that he would be able to get more funds from a Labour government for vital services, but by some estimates there are 2,503 fewer police officers in London today than there were in May 2024.

“That’s fewer officers to walk our streets and deal with the crimes that blight lives and livelihoods like shoplifting.

“It is unacceptable that the hardworking people in our local stores are being left to fend for themselves. Our independent businesses are already fighting to survive rising costs and business rates, they shouldn’t have to worry about shoplifting too.

“We need more than just promises, the Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to real neighbourhood policing, with bobbies on the beat and dedicated police counters right here in London so that our fantastic local shoppers and shopkeepers are kept safe.”

The data, sourced from the House of Commons Library, shows the Met Police as the only force in the country where the percentage of shoplifting cases that resulted in a charge was lower than 10 per cent.

The next lowest was the British Transport Police at 10.79 per cent, while Durham Constabulary was the most successful, with 32.69 per cent – almost a third – of cases resulting in a charge.

The Mayor’s annual budget included a record £1.26 billion for policing and crime prevention measures in 2026-27, but critics have suggested Sir Sadiq is letting Londoners down when it comes to frontline policing.

Police officer numbers fell slightly in February 2026 from the month before to 31,325, more than 2,000 lower than when Sir Sadiq was re-elected in May 2024.

Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met’s lead for tackling retail crime, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Retail crime is a top priority for the Met. Last year, we solved nearly double the number of shoplifting cases and made almost 50 per cent more arrests.

“These results reflect our relentless approach, the effective use of technology such as facial recognition, and close collaboration with retailers – who are vital partners in helping us identify and pursue the repeat offenders causing fear and harm to retail workers and communities.”

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London added: “The Met police is taking a tough, targeted approach to tackling shoplifting in London. This has resulted in shoplifting in the capital dropping by 3.7 percent in the past year and the arrest rate of store thieves increasing by 44 per cent.

“The Met’s recent Operation Zoridon was the largest ever targeted crackdown on organised shoplifting gangs in London, which resulted in the arrest of 32 people and the seizer of thousands of stolen items.

“Funding from City Hall has also placed a renewed focus on neighbourhood policing, which has helped to double the number of officers in the West End and to put an extra 90 officers in hotspot areas to tackle antisocial behaviour, thefts, phone robbery and shoplifting. We’re making progress to crack down on shoplifting, but we know there is more to do. That’s why the Mayor will continue to work with Met to tackle this issue as we build a safer London for everyone.”