John Lewis chair Sharon White has said UK legislation “could do more” to mitigate a surge in shoplifting cases throughout the country.

Speaking on the news programme Good Morning Britain, White pointed to an incidence in which a gang of shoplifters were caught stealing from the beauty department in John Lewis Edinburgh outlet.

Referencing home secretary Suella Braverman’s recent comments that “every crime matters”, White noted that in Scotland, when a store worker is abused or attacked, there is a specific law in place to deter offenders.

“I think there is growing recognition over recent months that these aren’t trivial crimes,” White said. “Having the Scottish legal framework replicated in the Westminster legislation would be a massive plus.”

The comments follow reports that John Lewis staff have been given “de-escalation training” to identify when an interaction with a shoplifter could become violent.

More than 100 retail bosses from UK retailers including John Lewis, Aldi, and Marks & Spencer also recently issued a letter to British police and crime commissioners calling on them to make retail crime a priority.

The letter noted that shoplifting should be prioritised as it "pushes up the cost of operating" and results in higher prices for consumers.

White’s comments follow similar remarks from Co-op, which cautioned that spiralling rates of shoplifting could render some communities “no go” areas for shops.

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