The beautiful British city plagued by 'out of control' thieves | UK

At first glance, Bath seems like a perfect picture of golden Georgian architecture and quirky independent shops with a rich cultural history to boot.

It is the only British city to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and its Roman Baths, once one of the great religious spas of the ancient world, are now a popular tourist attraction. The Christmas market is often called the best in the country.

But beneath the city’s glossy exterior lies a darker reality: its growing status as the capital of shoplifting, with a shocking 83% increase in the 12 months to September, putting the city on a worse trajectory than before year on year whatsoever in the country.

During that period, 138.6 offenses were recorded per 10,000 people, making the office the eighth worst in Britain. It was enough to prompt LibDem MP Wera Hobhouse to ask the Crime Secretary for an increased police presence to ensure “my shopkeepers feel safe”. But what’s behind this rapid and surprising rise?

Allison Herbert, CEO of Bath’s Business Improvement District (BID) attributes the epidemic to the “wider challenges of substance abuse and organized crime”.

“Amid rising crime problems on the country’s high streets, Bath’s reputation as an attractive city to visit, with its World Heritage City status, world-class history, culture, shopping and sport, makes it a target for such incidents ,” she says. told Express.co.uk.

“Over the past twelve months, Bath BID has been working proactively with local businesses to combat the problems of crime and anti-social behavior in the city centre, while also working closely with Avon and Somerset Police.”

The problem, which has been described as ‘out of control’ by West England Mayor Dan Norris, shows no signs of abating. In October, police charged a 21-year-old man with seven thefts, including of a bicycle, tobacco and vapes, and a 45-year-old with entering a store’s staff area to steal products worth a total of £300 .

Speaking in January, Mr Norris said retailers who stood firm against lawbreakers would be forced to raise prices to make up for lost goods – “making this terrifying cost-of-living crisis worse for everyone ”.

The epidemic could escalate as tourists flock to the city next month to enjoy its world-famous Christmas market, with businesses offering festive food, drinks and live entertainment from pretty chalet huts likely to be more wary than usual given the worrying statistics .

One shopkeeper who is already at the end of his tether is Rahul Sharma, 34, director of Ganesha Handicraft and Jewelery in The Corridor. Mr Sharma, whose shop has been burgled three times, said he lost the “time and effort” involved in obtaining stolen jewelery and suffered financial loss.

“Sometimes I feel like closing my shop because of the stress that comes with it,” he told MailOnline. “Sometimes I lose money instead of making it, and I wonder what the point is. But it’s a passion. Everyone loves the store and it’s a well-known place to get Christmas presents.”

There are initiatives in place to tackle the increase in local shoplifting, including 160 businesses linked via the Citylink radio system with City Marshals on hand seven days a week to tackle theft and anti-social behavior incidents.