Crime
Shoplifting rise highlights need for in-store security
SHOPLIFTING offences have hit record levels across England and Wales, with over 530,000 incidents recorded in the year to March 2025 – a rise of around 20 per cent on the previous year.
Retailers say the real figure is far higher because many thefts go unreported. The British Retail Consortium estimates over 20 million incidents in 2023/24, costing businesses £2.2bn in direct losses. Abuse of shopworkers is also on the rise, with unions warning that staff safety is now a major concern.
In Wales, Dyfed-Powys Police logged just over 2,000 shoplifting cases last year. While that was a slight fall locally, the national picture shows repeat and organised offending still growing.
Security that pays for itself
Retail experts point out that simple, visible security can deter offenders and pay for itself quickly. Measures include a trained greeter at the door, smarter CCTV systems with real-time alerts, targeted security tagging on high-value items, and better supervision of self-checkouts.
Store design also matters. Clear sight lines, mirrors in blind spots, and secure displays for premium goods make a difference.
Protecting staff is now considered as important as protecting stock. Body-worn cameras, lone-worker alarms, and conflict management training not only keep colleagues safer but also supply stronger evidence when incidents occur.
Smarter reporting
Consistent reporting remains vital. Even where police attendance is not guaranteed, every report adds to intelligence feeds used by national operations such as Project Pegasus. That coordination has already led to arrests of prolific offenders.
Recent legal changes also mean persistent offenders face stronger penalties, with the £200 threshold for low-value theft removed and new offences created for assaults on shop staff.
Pembrokeshire firm offering solutions

Ryan Mayne, director of RM Training & Security Solutions Ltd in Tenby, told The Herald: “Our experience in securing retail environments shows that combining human presence with smart technology delivers real protection. A simple greeting, strong visibility, and proper tagging can drastically cut losses on high-risk lines without alienating customers.”
He added: “Our security teams are trained to support staff safety as much as shrink prevention – nobody benefits if colleagues feel threatened or unsafe.”
Five steps for retailers
- Identify top loss-making lines and tag or secure them.
- Train staff to greet customers within five seconds of entering.
- Assign clear responsibility for self-checkout supervision.
- Join local Shopwatch or Business Crime Reduction Partnerships.
- Review store layout for blind spots before peak trading.
Shoplifting may not be a new problem, but with record losses and growing risks to staff, retailers in Wales and across the UK are under pressure to act.
RM Training & Security Solutions Ltd
16a The Norton, Tenby, SA70 8AA
Tel: 01834 526418 / 07388 069600
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.rmtrainingandsecuritysolutionsltd.co.uk
Crime
Two arrested after high-value shoplifting incident in Kilgetty
TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting following a rapid police response to a reported high-value theft at a supermarket in Kilgetty.
Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to the Co-op store at around 3.35pm on Wednesday (Jan 28), after a report that a large quantity of alcohol and other items had been stolen.
Using information provided by the caller, Roads Policing Unit officers worked closely with control room staff to identify a vehicle believed to be involved. Several patrol cars were deployed, and the vehicle was located a short time later travelling east.
Police said the safety of all those involved was treated as a priority, with specialist Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC) advice obtained while officers maintained constant observation of the vehicle.
The car was brought to a safe stop on a back road approaching Hendy, involving three Roads Policing Unit vehicles. No injuries or damage were reported.
Following roadside checks, two men — aged 67 and 46 — were arrested on suspicion of theft from a shop.
Both remain in police custody while enquiries continue.
Police said the swift response helped prevent further offending and demonstrated the effectiveness of specialist roads policing officers acting on real-time intelligence.
Business
Eight-year prison sentence after vehicle stop uncovers drugs worth over £150,000
A ROUTINE vehicle stop by roads policing officers has led to an eight-year prison sentence after more than £150,000 worth of illegal drugs were discovered in a car in Pembrokeshire.
On Friday, January 2, officers from the Roads Policing Unit stopped a grey Seat Ateca on Hoyland Road, Pembroke. The vehicle was being driven by 43-year-old Dean Evans.
During the stop, Evans told officers they would find “stuff” in the car. He and the vehicle were subsequently searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
A search of the boot uncovered a cardboard box containing a one-kilogram block of cocaine and ten half-kilogram packages of herbal cannabis. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be well in excess of £150,000.
Evans was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs. He was later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs.
The 43-year-old pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, January 3.
On Thursday, January 28, Evans was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to eight years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.
DC Jones, from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “Tackling the supply of illegal drugs is a priority for Dyfed-Powys Police, and the misery that illegal drugs bring to local communities will not be tolerated.
“We welcome the sentence passed to Dean Evans, given the large quantity of harmful drugs he was caught trafficking into Pembrokeshire.
“This sentence should serve as a stark warning to anyone tempted to become involved in the illegal drugs trade in Dyfed and Powys.”
Crime
Former soldier jailed for stalking police officer over past arrest
Defendant tracked down officer’s home address and sent threatening messages
A FORMER serviceman has been sent to prison after tracking down and harassing a police officer who had arrested him two years earlier.
Gareth Nicholas, aged 41, from Waunarlwydd in Swansea, targeted the officer by discovering his home address and sending a threatening message via Facebook, Swansea Crown Court heard.
The officer had been part of a police team that executed a Scottish arrest warrant at Nicholas’s home in May 2023. Two years later, in August 2025, the officer received an unexpected friend request on social media, followed shortly afterwards by a message that immediately caused concern.
The message began with the words “I found you” and accused the officer of unlawfully entering Nicholas’s property, assaulting him while he was in his underwear, and “abducting” him. Nicholas also claimed he had identified a pattern of corrupt behaviour within the police and issued a veiled threat, stating: “I will catch you down the Liberty son. Look forward to it,” a reference to Swansea City’s former stadium.
The situation escalated further days later when a handwritten letter was delivered to the officer’s former address. The new occupant contacted the officer to alert him to the letter, which repeated allegations of corruption and suggested the matter could be dropped if the officer assisted in exposing alleged police misconduct.
Nicholas was arrested on September 3 and admitted sending the communications, but denied at the time that his actions amounted to stalking.
In evidence, the officer told the court that while he had faced verbal abuse during his policing career, this incident felt different and deeply personal. He said his family installed CCTV cameras, security lighting and fencing, and put safety plans in place for their children. He added that he feared Nicholas had not let go of his perceived injustice and remained concerned the behaviour could continue.
The court heard Nicholas has a substantial criminal record in Scotland between 2019 and 2024, including convictions for stalking, malicious communications, threatening behaviour, domestic abuse offences and possession of ammunition without a licence.
Sentencing Nicholas, Judge Huw Rees acknowledged the trauma the defendant had experienced during military service, but warned him not to repeat the behaviour.
Nicholas, who appeared unrepresented, pleaded guilty to stalking and was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, reduced by 20 per cent for his early guilty plea. Having already served time on remand, his release is expected shortly. He was also made subject to a five-year restraining order banning any contact with the officer.
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