![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/inside-town-where-shoplifting-ruins-lives-and-people-run-riot-after-law-change/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1_Vox-pop-Bolton.jpg&description=Stealing goods worth less than £200 has effectively been decriminalised and shop owners across the UK have expressed concern it'll have a detrimental effect on trade Business owners are despairing across a large town where shoplifters - including children - are ruining lives following a law change. Small businesses have been particularly suffering in Bolton, Greater Manchester, since the government's move to effectively decriminalise the theft of goods worth less than £200. Owners of shops say thieves, often schoolchildren, know there is little authorities can do following offences. Suleiman Hekimi, who owns Diva in the town, said: "We've installed cameras but they don't even care. Honestly, it doesn't deter them. They know there's nothing the shopkeeper can do. They know they can get away with it." The 45-year-old man catches people stealing from Diva multiple times a week but fears it's happening every day. Shoplifting is rife in Bolton town centre, reports Manchester Evening News. It mirrors a pattern, highlighted by Mirror last month, of a rise in police callouts across the country to shoplifting incidents as the cost of living crisis saw hungry Brits turn to stealing. Thefts, burglaries, robberies and anti-social behaviour are also prevalent in Bolton and elsewhere. And, as a result, Suleiman, who has owned Diva for seven years, estimates his store is still being targeted at least four times a week – with swiped items ranging from lip glosses to £100 hair extensions. "Whatever has blown up on TikTok are the things that schoolchildren steal. The other day, rosemary oil was popular on TikTok and all the schoolchildren were nicking it," the business owner added. "The oil is £10 each, so if they take 10, that's £100. Sometimes, when they take a wig, that's £100 just on its own. It's not just children, it's women too. There isn't an age limit. It's everybody." David McKelvey, a former Scotland Yard detective, said police and shops have stopped prosecuting thefts of){kind=link}
Stealing goods worth less than £200 has effectively been decriminalised and shop owners across the UK have expressed concern it’ll have a detrimental effect on trade
Business owners are despairing across a large town where shoplifters – including children – are ruining lives following a law change.
Small businesses have been particularly suffering in Bolton, Greater Manchester, since the government’s move to effectively decriminalise the theft of goods worth less than £200. Owners of shops say thieves, often schoolchildren, know there is little authorities can do following offences.
Suleiman Hekimi, who owns Diva in the town, said: “We’ve installed cameras but they don’t even care. Honestly, it doesn’t deter them. They know there’s nothing the shopkeeper can do. They know they can get away with it.”
The 45-year-old man catches people stealing from Diva multiple times a week but fears it’s happening every day. Shoplifting is rife in Bolton town centre, reports Manchester Evening News. It mirrors a pattern, highlighted by Mirror last month, of a rise in police callouts across the country to shoplifting incidents as the cost of living crisis saw hungry Brits turn to stealing. Thefts, burglaries, robberies and anti-social behaviour are also prevalent in Bolton and elsewhere.