October 31, 2011 3.26 pm This story is over 149 months old

Lincoln’s shoplifting hotspot revealed

Shop thefts: Figures released for the first time reveal that St Mark’s Square is Lincoln’s shoplifting hotspot.

City-wide figures released by Lincolnshire Police for the first time reveal that St Mark’s Square is Lincoln’s shoplifting hotspot.

During September, 20 shoplifting incidents were recorded in the St Mark’s shopping area, more than double the cases of the runner-up hotspot on St Mary’s Street (9).

In the same month, seven incidents were also recorded on Saltergate, and four separate cases on Swan Street, Tentercroft Street and Brayford Street.

A total of 67 shoplifting reports for September are listed on the Police.uk website, which on Friday began displaying a wider range of offences.

The website now also displays public disorder, criminal damage and drugs offences for the first time; figures begin from September 2011 only.

Lincoln BIG Chief Exec Matt Corrigan explained that businesses in St Mark’s are not the only ones in the city to suffer from shoplifting, but they are better at reporting it.

He added: “We are concerned shop thefts are many times related to alcohol and drugs abuse, so it’s important we tackle it together with shop owners and police.”

Lincolnshire Police spokesman Dick Holmes said: “The type of stores in the area, department and open plan stores, are more open to theft, but they are also more adept at catching offenders, hence more arrests have been made in St Mark’s.”