West Sussex town is named worst for shoplifting but police commissioner reports 'strong positive shift' in reports of crime

This comes after a recent study by LEI Register ranked Worthing as the worst UK area for recorded shoplifting incidents.

Using ONS, NISRA, and Scottish Government data, the researchers claimed that Worthing came out at the top of the list – with 231.79 shoplifting incidents per 10,000 residents.

The researchers said: “To put it in context, the average rate across the top ten areas is around 171 incidents per 10,000 people, so Worthing sits well above that, showing that shoplifting is proportionally more common here than in almost anywhere else in the country.”

A second, separate study – by commercial security systems provider Avigilon – analysed data from the Office for National Statistics. This covered shoplifting incidents across the UK over 12 months. This identified the total number of shoplifting incidents recorded by area, as well as the proportion of shoplifting incidents compared to all recorded crime.

The number of shoplifting incidents in each area scaled per 1,000 local population ranked those most vulnerable to shoplifting.

Worthing ranked second – after Westminster – with 22.8 incidents per 1,000 people. The seaside town's shoplifting rate was particularly notable as these incidents made up one of the highest proportions in the UK, at 25 per cent of all crime in the area.

Adur ranked third on the list, with 21.19 incidents per 1,000 residents. According to the findings, 28.4 per cent, or more than one in four of all crimes reported in the area over the year, were shoplifting. This is the highest proportion revealed across all 290 locations analysed.

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said residents can ‘feel reassured’ that shoplifting is ‘taken seriously’ in the entire county – including Adur and Worthing.

She said: “I’ve been very clear that we needed our local businesses to report every crime because policing needed the intelligence in order to respond effectively.

“Over recent years I’ve encouraged retailers and business owners to report all offences which, unsurprisingly, increased recorded figures at first but, crucially, means more crime is now being tackled and more offenders brought to justice.

“Worthing’s recorded crime has successfully fallen to 1,856 incidents as of September 2025 – down from 2,596 in 2024 mentioned in the report. This is a strong positive shift, supported by a five per cent drop in shoplifting offences across the entire county.

“We also launched the One‑Touch Reporting pilot in Co‑op stores, giving staff a fast and simple way to report incidents directly to police. Worthing is now one of the highest‑performing areas in the country for this scheme and staff know that local officers are tackling crimes effectively.

“There is always more to do and I welcome the increased patrols by Adur and Worthing Neighbourhood Policing Teams, particularly in the town centre. This visible presence helps deter offenders and provides reassurance to visitors, residents and businesses alike. I also have positive news coming from my Operation STOP pilot – the first scheme in the UK tagging prolific shoplifters which I will share more details about soon.”

Police patrols have been carried out in Worthing as a 'deterrent to shoplifting and anti-social behaviour'.

In a Facebook post on March 20, Adur and Worthing Police stated that patrols were focused on key locations in the town, including the Guildbourne Centre – ‘with the key aim of supporting local businesses and providing reassurance to the wider community’.

Officers spoke with business owners and members of the public to ‘listen to any concerns, offer advice, and address issues’ currently affecting those who live and work in the area. These patrols also serve as a ‘deterrent to shoplifting and anti-social behaviour’, police said.

In response to the concerning public survey results, a spokesperson for Sussex Police added: “We do not recognise the claims made about shoplifting rates in the Adur and Worthing areas in these studies.

“Sussex Police has built effective partnerships with businesses impacted by retail crime and has pioneered direct One Touch Reporting techniques to allow crime to be reported rapidly.

“This has made reporting easier for retailers and enabled a more accurate and better understanding for policing of crimes affecting retailers in comparison to other locations in the country.”

Meanwhile, through Operation Apprentice, police have seen ‘multiple prosecutions and convictions of repeat offenders’.

Adur and Worthing District Commander Chief Inspector James Davidson added: “We are proud to serve the communities of Adur and Worthing and officers work hard alongside partner agencies to ensure our town centres and communities remain attractive and vibrant places to live in, work in, and visit.

“We understand the significant impact retail crime has on our communities as well as for shop staff and visitors, and tackling shoplifting is a priority for us. We continue to work with businesses to promote safe reporting practices and crime prevention measures.

“Visible policing and community reassurance remains central to our approach to tackling shop theft and supporting local businesses alongside our partners including the Business Crime Reduction Partnerships and councils.

“Recent court results demonstrate that we are determined to target the worst offenders and where clear evidence exists, we will seek to secure convictions.

“We continue to encourage the public, businesses and staff to report incidents to us online or by calling 101. In an emergency always call 999.”

Worthing Town Centre BID manager Hannah Manzaroli said the business improvement district has made ‘significant investments’ in supporting businesses in the town centre ‘help minimise shoplifting’.

She said this includes funding town security throughout the week; maintaining and managing a radio network; funding Schemelink, an app businesses can use on the phone to share intelligence; and facilitating new body cameras to ‘pass on high quality evidence to the police’.

Ms Manzaroli added: “Whilst we accept shoplifting is a major issue, its important to note these figures reflect highest reported crime. In many other towns, businesses can become apathetic and stop reporting incidents, so the fact that our businesses are reporting is helping the police see the true scale of the problem.

"We are incredibly proud of our fantastic town security who work hard to tackle this issue. We are committed to keeping town security high on our agenda and look forward to strengthening our relationships across the town.”

Worthing Borough Council did not choose to offer a comment but did draw reference to the news, from December, that the local authority is ‘investing in community safety’ by replacing CCTV cameras in the town centre and seafront with the latest technology.

The council added: “We plan to use up to £70,000 of community infrastructure levy (CIL) funding, which is money collected from developers to be used on infrastructure projects, to upgrade 16 of our current CCTV units and invest in a portable unit that can be used anywhere in the borough.

“Footage from the cameras is exclusively used by Sussex Police, and this investment will help ensure that Worthing is safer for businesses, residents and visitors, as well as acting as a deterrent to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

“The new camera units will be more durable and better suited for our coastal climate, and will be able to cover more areas, with 360-degree recording capabilities.”

Two new CCTV units were installed near Worthing railway station, in 2024, as part of the Railway Approach improvement works. The council said it will also invest in a portable CCTV unit, that can be moved to any area within the borough where there are ‘regular problems’ – with ‘issues like fly-tipping or antisocial behaviour’ identified.

Councillor Rita Garner, Worthing's deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration, said: “We want to ensure that our town centre and seafront remain safe and attractive places to visit, and that businesses feel supported.

“This investment in new CCTV equipment is part of our ongoing work to improve the look and feel of the area, which also includes widespread repairs and repainting of benches, railings and bins, the refurbishment of some seafront shelters, as well as a permanent fix for the pier next year.”

Work replacing the CCTV units was expected to start in early 2026. The funding comes from the CIL 'other agencies' pot, which is reserved for infrastructure projects in collaboration with organisations like the police.