Shopkeepers in a Leeds estate are at their wit's end with shoplifters - it's got so bad, the area has been crowned as Yorkshire's shoplifting hotspot.
Newsagents in Swarcliffe have grown despondent with the increasingly "awkward" task of spotting local residents who steal from them. One shopkeeper said teens work in groups to shoplift, and have formulated sophisticated methods of hoodwinking staff to steal fizzy drinks and sweets.
He once chased a small child, as young as four, who stole sweets from the shop, only for the parent to feign ignorance and pretend they didn't know who their own child was when confronted.
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An off-licence worker has accepted the ongoing fate their shop will be stolen from, saying there's "nowt we can do" as alcoholics regularly grab whatever they can get their fingers on - despite having top of the range CCTV set up in the small unassuming corner shop.
Swarcliffe was the residential area with the most reports of shoplifting throughout the county and was ranked 11th across England and Wales. There were 56 reported instances of shoplifting in the east Leeds estate, near Seacroft, in 2021 and 2022 so far.
Ali, 39, who's worked at Food King Superstores in Swarcliffe Parade for about six months, said: "It happens quite often, every week! There was once a little kid who stole sweets and ran away.
"We looked around and he was with a lady, we asked if it was her son and she said 'he's not mine' and ignored us. Then we saw them come into the shop together a few days later!
He says teenagers steal in groups, working together to steal sweets and drinks. Some will act as a lookout to see where the shop assistant is looking before the others swipe the items.
Ali said: "It's awkward. It happens during the times like the school rush when they know it's busy."
'Nowt we can do'
Biana Patel works in the off-licence next door called United News and Booze. It's a family run business which has been there for 11 years, Biana's father is a big Leeds United fan, hence the name and badge decorating the store.
Biana Patel, 38, said: "It is a big problem, I'm not going to lie. There's nowt we can do. It is what it is, we can't stop them."
She says the main culprits are men and women in their late 20s and early 30s and their main target is beer. She said: "Beer. Whatever they can grab, there's obviously a lot of people who drink around here.
"They can't afford it so they'll just nick what they can, they tend to go for the stronger stuff like Skol Super and Special Brew."
The other areas in Leeds with high shoplifting rates are Hawksworth and West Park (30th across England and Wales) and Tinshill (53rd).
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