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Time taken to bring shoplifters to justice is ‘unacceptable’, retailers tell BBC

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Time taken to bring shoplifters to justice is ‘unacceptable’, retailers tell BBC


Cherry Wilson and Jim ConnollyBBC News Investigations

BBC A man wearing a polo shirt and a lanyard with branding for his company on stands infront of a shop display where he works as head of security BBC

Head of security Tom Hirst said the criminal justice system is “too easy” on shoplifters

The time it takes to bring shoplifters to justice is “unacceptable” with retailers waiting longer for criminals to face punishment compared with a decade ago, the BBC has learned.

In one case, stores targeted by a thief waited up to 10 months for a shoplifter to be sentenced, despite retail workers piecing together her identity without help from the police.

Chelsea Strange, 33, went on a three-week crime spree stealing £2,000 worth of Jellycat soft toys from four different stores across the south west of England and one in Wales – which she later sold on Vinted.

Figures obtained by the BBC show the average time it takes for a shoplifting case to be dealt with from offence to completion in a magistrates’ court in England and Wales has risen by more than 80% in the last 10 years – from 32 days in 2014 to 59 days in 2024.

Trade bodies representing retailers have said many stores have been left frustrated with the way shoplifters are dealt with. They say the time taken reduces shopkeepers’ faith in the justice system – making them feel there’s no point in reporting crimes.

“The delays in bringing perpetrators to court really does add insult to injury,” said Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association.

“It is no surprise many small shop owners simply do not bother reporting the crime in the first place. In their minds it makes no difference.”

The BBC has looked at a series of shoplifting cases which highlight how shops have been left waiting months for thieves to be brought to justice.

We followed the Jellycat shoplifting case since December 2024, when we reported how a garden centre owner in Bridport, Dorset, had managed to piece together the thief’s identity by scouring resale websites, deciphering her car’s personalised number plate, and finding her Facebook profile.

Austins department store in Newton Abbot, Devon, was also targeted by Strange on three separate occasions – and staff said they too were able to figure out who she was.

Austins Department Store CCTV imagery of a blonde woman pushing a pram and holding a Jellycat plush toy in a shop surrounded by shelves with Jellycat teddies on Austins Department Store

Strange was caught on CCTV stealing Jellycat plush toys

Head of security Tom Hirst described the time taken to deal with shoplifters as “unacceptable” and said the criminal justice system is “too easy on them”.

“You’re better off shoplifting than going to work, that’s my honest view,” he added.

“Every time someone comes in and steals something, that cost gets passed on… it puts the price up so we’re all paying.”

In July, Strange, from Felton, Bristol, was sentenced to a 12-month community order at Newton Abbot Magistrates Court after admitting stealing from five shops across Devon, Somerset, Dorset and South Wales in September and October last year.

She was also ordered to pay nearly £1,800 in compensation.

Strange’s defence team said the offences were out of character and would not have taken place if it had not been for her poor mental health.

A woman wearing a work uniform and a headset stands in the aisle of the shop that she works in. She is standing in front of a fridge with drinks inside.

Fiona Malone caught a thief red-handed but still had to wait five months for them to be sentenced

​​Fiona Malone, who runs a Post Office in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, also told the BBC she had to wait five months for a shoplifter who stole from her store to face sentencing – despite catching the thief red-handed.

The shopkeeper confronted Natalie Lintern after security cameras captured her stealing pre-mixed vodka cans, sandwiches and cake from the store in August last year.

Mrs Malone chased the 36-year-old down the street and got the stolen items back before reporting it to the police.

“The whole criminal justice system is too slow, it’s bureaucratic,” she told the BBC.

“We need to deal with these people and deal with them quickly and think about alternative punishments to stop them doing it in the first place.”

In January, Lintern, from Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, was given a 12-month community order after pleading guilty to stealing from Tenby Post Office and four other stores between April and September 2024.

But the sentence did not stop her from shoplifting again.

Six months later, she was back in court again where she admitted stealing from a service station in May.

She was given six weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months.

Tenby Stores and Post Office a woman in a jelly crop top is seen with her hands full, carrying pre-mixed vodka drinks she has just taken from a fridge in a storeTenby Stores and Post Office

Lintern was seen on security cameras stealing pre-mixed vodka cans, sandwiches and cake

“What we’re doing as a society, it’s not working,” said Mrs Malone.

“It’s like whatever punishment she got it was almost like ‘Oh never mind I’ll just go out and do it again’.”

The most serious shop thefts can end up being heard at crown court where figures show the average time from the offence to cases being completed has increased from 111 days in 2016 to 128 days in 2024.

Shoplifter Bianca Mirica appeared in crown court after stealing more than £105,000 worth of goods from high street chain Boots between December 2023 and May 2024.

The 20-year-old, from Tottenham, London, was part of a shoplifting gang and would clear shelves of cosmetics and perfumes while another member of her team acted as look-out, according to police.

It took 14 months from her last theft before she was sentenced to 32 months in a young offenders’ institution, after pleading guilty to 18 charges of theft.

Met Police A woman with dark hair in a low bun is standing in her hallway, wearing a black jumper with white flowers on. She looks shocked.Met Police

Mirica was part of a shoplifting gang who would clear shelves of cosmetics and perfumes

Shoplifting has increased by 13% in the last year with 529,994 shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales up to June 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

However, the ONS said there are signs that increasing rates of shops thefts being reported are now slowing.

The crime adds an estimated £133 onto the cost of an average UK household’s shopping bill each year, according to the Centre for Retail Research.

The government told the BBC it understood the “devastating impact” of shop theft on retailers and it was clear many cases were taking too long to be resolved, adding: “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

It said it is backing the courts with record funding and considering recommendations for long term structural reform of the system.

The National Police Chiefs Council said it had strengthened its relationship with retailers and improved information sharing in the last two years – which had resulted in a number of offenders being brought to justice.

Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said it planned to bring together police, shops and the security industry to make best use of their resources and “turn the tide on the volume of offending blighting our communities”.



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EV adoptions gathers pace in 2025: Sales hit 2.3 million units; UP, Maharashtra lead sales – The Times of India

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EV adoptions gathers pace in 2025: Sales hit 2.3 million units; UP, Maharashtra lead sales – The Times of India


India sold were at 2.3 million units of electric vehicle in 2025, making up 8 per cent of all new vehicle registrations, according to a new report by the India Energy Storage Alliance, based on Vahan Portal data, cited by ANI. This boost was driven by incentives offered by the government and festive seasons. The majority portion of the sales were two-wheelers at 1.28 million units.The total registrations recorded in the overall passenger car market in the year 2025 stood at 28.2 million. Two-wheelers marked the most registrations 20 million registrations, while passenger cars were at 4.4 million and agricultural vehicles recorded 1.06 million. The recorded sales rose steadily throughout the year though slightly improved in the festival seasons due to GST benefits.Electric two-wheelers were the stars of the EV market, grabbing 57 per cent of sales. Three-wheelers came second with 0.8 million units (35 per cent), while four-wheelers logged 175,000 units. The report spotted good progress in electric delivery vehicles, especially in smaller commercial segments.Uttar Pradesh was at the forefront in this, with 400,000 units sold, taking an 18 percent market share in India’s EV segment. Maharashtra followed, with 266,000 units sold, contributing 12 percent to the segment, followed by Karnataka, with 200,000 units sold, contributing 9 percent to the market. The three accounted for over 40 percent in the country’s EV sales.Some smaller states recorded a very encouraging uptake of EVs. Delhi, Kerala, and Goa were able to reach an EV-to-ICE ratio of 14 percent, 12 percent, and 11 percent respectively. Meanwhile, states from the Northeast, Tripura, and Assam, achieved ratios of 18 percent and 14 percent, respectively.A major achievement was recorded in the three-wheeler segment, which attained a market penetration of 32 per cent. The government also created a record with their biggest ever order of electric buses—10,900 unit—valued at a massive Rs 10,900 crore through the PM E-DRIVE scheme.The report also stated that that while smaller vehicles led EV adoption, government efforts to electrify larger commercial vehicles and develop charging infrastructure were setting up India’s EV sector for continued growth beyond 2025.



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PTA warns consumers against fake calls and UAN numbers, reason revealed – SUCH TV

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PTA warns consumers against fake calls and UAN numbers, reason revealed – SUCH TV



Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has warned users against fake calls and UAN numbers.

A video message released by PTA states that scammers are impersonating PTA, FIA, and banks to steal your personal and financial information. No government agency will ever ask you for OTP, PIN, identity card or biometrics over a call or message. Mobile users should be vigilant and verify only through official channels.

It should be noted that earlier, PTA had warned users in a statement that using a SIM registered in the name of another person is a violation of relevant regulations.

The PTA had stressed that the full responsibility for any misuse of the SIM will lie with the registered user, therefore, users should ensure responsible use of their SIMs and mobile connections at all times. Registered users will be held individually accountable for all calls, messages and data usage made through their SIMs or devices.

The PTA further appealed to users to abide by all relevant laws and regulations, warning that action will be taken in case of violation.



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Budget 2026: CII pitches demand-led disinvestment plan; proposes four-step privatisation roadmap – The Times of India

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Budget 2026: CII pitches demand-led disinvestment plan; proposes four-step privatisation roadmap – The Times of India


The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) suggested a four-fold privatisation process in their recommendations on the Union Budget 2026-27. They called for faster and more predictable disinvestment. The industry body claimed that a calibrated privatisation approach would help sustain capital expenditure and fund development priorities, particularly in sectors where private participation can improve efficiency, technology adoption, and competitiveness. CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee highlighted the role of private enterprise in India’s growth. “A forward-looking privatisation policy, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat, will enable the government to focus on its core functions while empowering the private sector to accelerate industrial transformation and job creation,” he said, as quoted by ANI. To accelerate the government’s exit from non-strategic Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs), CII outlined a four-pronged strategy. First, CII recommended adopting a demand-led approach for selecting PSEs for privatisation. Contrary to short-listing entities and then checking the appetite for them, it was proposed that government needs to start by measuring market interest for a larger list of entities and short-list those with better interest and valuation. Second, the industry body called for announcing a rolling three-year privatisation pipeline in advance. According to CII, greater visibility would give investors time to plan, deepen participation, and improve price discovery. Third, CII proposed setting up a dedicated institutional mechanism to oversee privatisation. This would include a ministerial board for strategic direction, an advisory panel of industry and legal experts, and a professional execution team to handle due diligence, market engagement, and regulatory coordination. Fourth, acknowledging that complete privatisation is complex and time-consuming, CII suggested a calibrated disinvestment route as an interim measure. The government could initially reduce its stake in listed PSEs to 51 per cent, retaining management control, and later bring it down further to between 33 per cent and 26 per cent. CII estimated that lowering government ownership to 51 per cent in 78 listed PSEs could unlock nearly Rs 10 lakh crore. In the first two years, disinvestment in 55 PSEs could raise about Rs 4.6 lakh crore, followed by Rs 5.4 lakh crore from 23 additional enterprises. “A calibrated reduction of government stake balances strategic control with value creation,” Banerjee said, adding that the proceeds could fund healthcare, education, green infrastructure, and fiscal consolidation while maintaining control in strategic sectors. The Union Budget for 2026–27 will be presented on February 1.



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