Somerset's high streets have been hit hard by a wave of shoplifting, with new figures showing the scale of the crisis across Street, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Frome and Wells.

Last year, Avon and Somerset Police recorded 18,243 shoplifting crimes across the force area – a 24% rise, and the highest number in over 20 years. The trend is being felt across Somerset, with retailers and staff describing a sharp rise in brazen theft and aggression.

In Street, 108 shoplifting offences were logged, a rate of 12.9 incidents per 1,000 people. Glastonbury recorded 121 incidents, or 15.9 per 1,000 people. In Shepton Mallet, there were 83 incidents (9.2 per 1,000), while Frome North West suffered 261 incidents – a rate of 29.6 per 1,000 people. Frome South and East had a further 121 incidents (10.7 per 1,000), and Wells saw 130 incidents, or 15.5 per 1,000.

But it's Central Bath and Lansdown that tops the chart across Somerset and the wider area, with 922 shoplifting crimes – roughly one every nine hours.

Somerset Police have said shoplifting is a priority for neighbourhood policing.

A spokesperson said: "We're seeing a rise in shoplifting across Somerset, and we understand the impact this has, not just on businesses but also on staff. We're tackling it head-on and have increased targeted patrols to deter offending and support retailers."

Retailers say the rise in shoplifting has reached crisis point. According to the British Independent Retail Association (Bira), many shop owners now don't even bother reporting crimes because they have lost faith in the response.

"The latest figures confirm what our members have been telling us for months," said Jeff Moody, Bira's Chief Commercial Officer. "Retail crime is spiralling out of control, and independent retailers are bearing the brunt. What's especially troubling is that half of our members don't report incidents anymore, because they feel it's not worth it. Meanwhile, staff are dealing with aggression and abuse, and businesses are left picking up the cost.

"This is more than a statistics problem. It's about real people trying to serve their communities, and real businesses that are the backbone of our high streets. We need urgent action from the police and the courts to send a clear message that this sort of crime will not be tolerated."

The British Retail Consortium has estimated the cost of retail crime across the UK at an "eye‑watering" £4.2bn last year – including £2.2bn lost to shoplifting and £1.8bn spent trying to prevent it.

Graham Wynn, Assistant Director of Business and Regulation at the BRC, said: "Retail theft is a major issue for retailers, costing over £2.2bn a year and acting as a trigger for violence and abuse against staff. The rise in organised crime is a significant concern, and this is not a victimless crime. It pushes up costs for honest shoppers and damages the experience for everyone."

With shoplifting rising sharply across Street, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Frome and Wells, retailers and staff say enough is enough. They are calling for tougher penalties, better enforcement and urgent action to restore safety and trust across Somerset's high streets.