Middle class shoplifters help themselves

[Guest guest]

Still very behind on the posts here, but I heard this on the news recently.

Definitely a case of people living beyond their means and now they can't afford

to maintain that lifestyle they are turning to crime.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/6531438/Middle\

-class-shoplifters-help-themselves.html

Middle class shoplifters help themselves

Middle class shoplifters are stealing luxury items like iPods, cosmetics and

even fresh meat in an attempt to maintain their lifestyles in the face of the

recession, according to a survey.

By

Published: 7:00AM GMT 10 Nov 2009

They are responsible for a surge in the crime to new heights, the annual study

by the Centre for Retail Research for retail security company Checkpoint Systems

found.

The average shoplifting 'bill' now tops £80, while shoplifting has risen by 20

per cent in the last year to £4.88 billion.

Neil s, vice president of Checkpoint Systems NCE, said: " We are seeing

more instances of amateur thieves stealing goods for their own personal use

rather than to sell on than before.

" This is epitomised in the recent uprising of the middle class shoplifter,

someone who has turned to theft to sustain their standard of living, and this is

driving theft of items such as cosmetics, perfumes and face creams, alcohol,

fresh meat, mobile phones, computer games and DVDs as well as small electrical

goods like cameras, iPods and personal care gadgets. "

Cooked and fresh meat, cheese, seafood and alcohol now all " feature strongly " in

shoplifters' wish-lists, the survey found.

Mr s said that the £4.88bn lost to shoplifters was " the equivalent of

criminals taxing every UK household £227 per year. "