Shoplifting and theft offences across Cheshire have fallen by 10.2 per cent.

This is in stark contrast to the national picture around shoplifting, which has seen a national increase over the past year.

Assistant Chief Constable, Alison Ross, said: "It's clear to see from our figures that we do not operate any form of "shoplifting threshold".

Every offence reported is assessed on its merits, investigated proportionately, and pursued where the evidence allows.

"Just recently we launched Operation Watchmaker, a multi-agency partnership targeting retail crime and shoplifting, as part of our ongoing efforts to disrupt criminal activity across the county.

"During the operation, retailers were encouraged to join the force's 'Report and Support' campaign.

"This involves retailers not only reporting incidents of shoplifting and other crime but also supporting the police investigation by ensuring all visual evidence captured on CCTV or security staff's body worn cameras are submitted to police.

"Officers can then use retrospective facial recognition technology to help identify those involved and hold them accountable.

advertisement

"The constabulary also recently deployed live facial recognition for the first time in Chester City centre to assist with this type of crime.

"We will continue with our commitment to tackling shoplifting and retail crime, reflecting the hard work of Cheshire Police officers and staff, who are continuing to make this county hostile to criminals."