Shops on London’s strand forced to lock doors as shoplifting spirals out of control

Staff working on London’s busy Strand are locking their doors in broad daylight as shoplifting continues to soar across the capital. Customers hoping to step inside certain shops now have to knock before a worker lets them in, a move that has sparked criticism of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s handling of crime in the city.

Susan Hall, leader of the Conservative group at the London Assembly, branded it “lawless London” under Khan. She told The Sun: “What message does this give to tourists? It basically says the city is closed.” She went on to accuse the Mayor of failing to support businesses, warning, “It’s damaging London.”

One of the shops hit is women’s clothing retailer Jigsaw, which has reportedly put up a sign at its Strand branch explaining the unusual policy. The note tells customers: “We are operating a locked door policy. Please knock and a member of staff will be with you shortly.” The idea is said to have been copied from an O2 shop just across the road.

The dramatic step reflects a wider surge in shoplifting across the city. Between August 2024 and July this year, the Met Police recorded 86,599 incidents of retail theft in London alone. Across England and Wales, shoplifting has hit record levels, with 530,643 offences logged in the year to March, reported the Express. According to the Office for National Statistics, it’s the highest figure since current police recording methods began back in 2003.

The worrying rise has retailers on edge. Tom Ironside, head of the British Retailers Association, warned that theft is “spiraling out of control.” Many stores are reporting not just losses but growing safety concerns for staff forced to confront offenders.

The Government has acknowledged the issue. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the new Crime and Policing Bill earlier this year, promising tougher action on retail crime.

The plan includes ramping up police patrols across more than 500 town centers. By spring 2026, an extra 3,000 Police Community Support Officers and neighborhood officers are expected to be on the streets.

Until then, though, shops are being left to take matters into their own hands. For stores on one of London’s most famous streets, that means locking doors in the middle of the day, something almost unheard of until now. For critics, it’s a sign that confidence in law and order in the capital is slipping fast, while for businesses it’s simply a matter of survival.