Lidl becomes first supermarket in UK to give staff body cameras as standard in £2m fight back against shoplifters and thugs

• Lidl will outfit all workers at over 960 stores with cameras by spring next year

Lidl has become the first supermarket in the UK to give staff body cameras as a standard in its £2million fight back against shoplifters.

The grocery chain will be outfitting workers at its more than 960 stores with body-worn cameras as early as the end of the month as it begins implementing new security measures.

Workers will be trained to ensure the cameras are used safely and in a manner that protects individuals’ privacy, the store has claimed. 

Lidl says the new safety protocols, which will be fully rolled out by spring next year, are aimed at combating ‘serious and organised’ retail crime that is ‘impacting the whole industry’.

The push for the use of body cameras, which record video and audio as a deterrent to would-be thieves, for shop floor staff comes amidst rising rates of shoplifting across the country.

Lidl has become the first supermarket in the UK to give staff body cameras as a standard in its £2million fight back against shoplifters (Pictured: a Lidl store in Bedzin, Poland)

The grocery chain will be outfitting workers at its more than 960 stores with body-worn cameras by as early as the end of the month as it begins implementing new security measures (Stock image)

Workers will be trained to ensure the cameras are used safely and in a manner that protects individuals’ privacy, the store has claimed (Pictured: a Lidl store in Malmedy, Belgium)

The move, which is costing the supermarket more than £2million, is a first for the British supermarket industry. 

READ MORE: Shocking moment shoplifter brazenly ransacks Sainsbury’s shelves as he’s banned from every branch of supermarket after stealing £2,500 worth of meat and cheese – amid calls to tackle scourge of shoplifting 

Staff will be outfitted with body-worn cameras at all its stores across Britain, making it the first supermarket chain in the country to standardise such a practice. 

Other retailers, who are either still in trial phase, have the tech in a select number of stores or only offer them as an option to colleagues. 

Aldi, Waitrose, the Co-op, Morrisons and Tesco have all committed to giving the technology to every member of their frontline staff.

From the end of the month, stores across Lidl’s network will start to receive the security measures following an investment of over £2 million, with the rollout set to be complete by Spring 2024.

Ryan McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer, at Lidl GB, said: ‘As a business with over 960 stores across the length and breadth of the country, safety and security has always been an absolute priority for us. 

‘While our stores are typically safe environments, retail crime is something that is impacting the whole industry. Our investment into ensuring all our stores have body-worn cameras is just one of the ways we’re taking action to protect and provide reassurance to our colleagues and customers.

‘It is essential that the industry comes together to find new and innovative ways to combat serious and organised retail crime across the UK.’

The Co-op has been giving staff body cameras since 2020 as it contends with rising shoplifting rates

Shocking CCTV footage shows a man brazenly taking armfuls of chilled food from the fridges of Sainsbury’s in Newcastle

Last month the supermarket became a founding member of Project Pegasus, an organisation that works with police to tarhget retail crime, and committed £60,000 of funding over two years. 

READ MORE: The shocking rise of shoplifting: Map reveals retail theft hotspots across Britain after 365,000 cases in the past year – so is YOUR area on the list? 

Mr McDonnell added: ‘Amongst our own initiatives, we’re proud to be part of Project Pegasus, which presents a real opportunity for retailers, police forces, and the Home Office to work together to address the alarming rise of incidents facing retail workers every day.’

Shoplifting has surged by 25 per cent in Britain with a total of 365,164 incidents logged by police in England and Wales

This is the equivalent to more than 1,000 a day and the most since 2019, the Office for National Statistics said.

A new map created by MailOnline shows the 10 worst affected areas across the country.

The Metropolitan Police recorded the most shoplifting offences of any force in England and Wales (46,485), although it also covers by far the largest population.

West Yorkshire came next, with 19,742 offences, followed by West Midlands (19,172) and Greater Manchester (16,463). 

The City of London saw the lowest number of offences (668), but covers the smallest area.

A new map created by MailOnline shows the 10 worst affected areas for shoplifting across the country

CCTV footage caught the moment a man stole speakers from a branch of John Lewis. He was later arrested 

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said this summer that shoplifting had risen 27 per cent across ten of the largest cities in the UK, with some cities up as much as 68 per cent.

It estimates that shops lost £953m to customer theft last year – the greatest loss on record in recent years.

Heartless thieves are even targeting charity shops – with 80 per cent of non-profits reporting a rise in thefts of donated goods.

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