Chris Philp calls for a zero-tolerance approach as figures show officers fail to attend more than two thirds of thefts
Police must investigate shoplifting even if the goods are worth less than £200, the policing minister has said.
Chris Philp told The Telegraph that forces must investigate every single crime where there is CCTV evidence, including those of lower value.
Police chiefs have been accused of effectively decriminalising thefts worth less than £200 since changes to the law meant they were handled with a fine by post.
Figures show that the police fail to attend more than two thirds of serious retail crimes, even though shoplifting costs businesses almost £1 billion a year.