Now times really are getting tough! Even corned beef is locked away from the thieves - as traditional £4 staple becomes latest target in shoplifting crisis
Princes corned beef, priced at £4.15 at a Co-Op in London, was spotted in a case Retailers have been increasingly bumping up security measures to protect food New figures show shoplifting has risen to record levels amid cost of living crisis
A tin of corned beef has been spotted on a supermarket shelf locked inside a secure case amid a shoplifting epidemic that has seen retailers increasingly fitting security tags to everyday essentials.
The Princes canned meat was also priced at a whopping £4.15 at a Co-Op store in Catford, south east London.
Shocked shopper George Dibb posted a photo of the item onto his social media, which sparked comments from equally surprised consumers over the security measures needed, as well as the price of the meat.
The tinned meat is just the latest in a range of supermarket products that have been subject to additional security, including coffee, energy shots, cheese and baby formula as shoplifting levels have surged during the cost-of-living crisis.
New figures released last month reveal that shoplifting has risen to the highest levels on record.
Shopper George Dibb was shocked to see a tin of corned beef locked inside a secure box at a Co-Op in Catford, South London - as well as being priced at a whopping £4.15
George Dibb posted the bleak photograph of the corned beef with a security tag and added: 'The economy has turned a corner'
Posting the photograph on X, formerly known as Twitter, George Dibb wrote: 'The economy has turned a corner.'
Other customers were left stunned by George's find.
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Alex Eccleston stated: 'Thank God my grandma didn't live to see corned beef in a cage for four quid.'
Matt Bryan added: 'When I left England five years ago I was getting that for £1.'
One other shopper said: 'This used to be poor man's food.'
Another added: 'Almost as salty as the prices.'
One other shopper stated: 'Corned beef used to be a struggle meal.'
Another questioned: 'How is wartime ration food this expensive?
'They had to gaslight the nation into thinking this was good during times of poverty so they wouldn't miss fresh, real food.'
Co-Op has been approached for a comment.
New data on shoplifting, released in April, showed a total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023, up by more than a third (37%) from 315,040 in the previous 12 months.
The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
A Tesco branch in Theydon Bois, Essex, has slapped security tags on shopping baskets
This security-protected bar of Dairy Milk Wholenut was seen at a Co-op in Codsall in Staffordshire
The low-fat Cathedral City cheddar was in a security box on the shelf at a Tesco Express in Dalston next to other cheese, which had security tag stickers on
Industry leaders have called on the police to help retailers crack down on shoplifters and tackle unprecedented levels of theft.
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) chief executive James Lowman said: 'The unprecedented levels of shop theft being faced by retailers cannot be allowed to continue.
'We have set out a three-pronged approach for police forces across the UK to adopt and make it clear that they are committed to tackling the problem.
'Theft and abuse are a blight on communities, with addicts and criminal gangs repeatedly targeting hardworking retailers and their colleagues.
'These are not victimless crimes, and they must be investigated to bring the most prolific offenders to justice.'
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Chicken for sale in a Tesco Express was seen with security marking that will set off an alarm if shoppers try to steal the item
A recent study found 54.4 per cent of shoplifting involved supermarkets, with Co-op the worst affected, ahead of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Aldi.
The John Lewis group, which includes the supermarket Waitrose, recently put its shoplifting losses at £12million.
Both Home Secretary Suella Braverman and policing minister Chris Philp have already called on police to be tougher on shoplifting.