- High Streets UK warns that, without urgent reform, current systems cannot deliver on Government ambitions to tackle high street crime.
- The group has published a four-point policy proposal, including ringfenced policing for flagship destinations; criminal justice reform; a coordinated crackdown on international organised crime; and national framework for business crime reporting.
- High Streets UK is a pro-growth, nationwide partnership of flagship high streets, representing 5,000+ businesses, contributing £50 billion in GVA annually.
- The Safer High Streets Forum is the second quarterly meeting since the group’s launch, building on its work to shape government policy and unlock growth
London, 5th June 2025 – Following this week’s Safer High Streets Forum in London, High Streets UK has set out a four-point policy proposal to urgently tackle prolific offending, business crime, anti-social behaviour, and organised criminal activity taking place on the UK’s flagship high streets.
Recent Government commitments on retail crime – including reprioritising shoplifting and making assaulting a retail worker a standalone offence – are welcome acknowledgements of unprecedented levels of loss from customer theft, which have soared to £2 billion,[1] and escalating violence against shop staff.
However, High Streets UK warns that criminal justice infrastructure, police funding and strategic prioritisation of other crime categories must be urgently reviewed if the crime plaguing our high streets is to be meaningfully and holistically tackled.
The group’s key recommendations include:
- Ringfenced policing uplift in and around flagship high streets;
- Developing a clear plan for criminal justice system reform, including strengthened provisions around Criminal Behaviour Orders;
- A coordinated, nationwide multi-agency approach to tackling organised crime;
- Pilot a standardised, nationwide framework for businesses to report crime.
Dee Corsi, Chair of High Streets UK and Chief Executive of founding member, New West End Company, said: “Flagship high streets are engines of the local and national economy, drivers of tourism, and anchors for communities. But without urgent national action on crime, they are at serious risk.
“We have welcomed the Government’s renewed focus on retail crime in particular. But we must go further and faster to tackle all types of crime affecting high streets, having a devastating effect on businesses and communities, tarnishing the UK’s global reputation, and jeopardising tourism and investment.
“At our Safer High Streets Forum, we shared our frontline experience of the international criminal gangs, business crime, prolific offenders and anti-social behaviour affecting our high streets – none of which can be meaningfully tackled with the current systems and resources in place.
“Together, we have set out a clear, practical blueprint for change. It’s now time to focus on delivery.”
The second High Streets UK Forum builds on the group’s previous work to shape government policy on business rates reform, with calls for urgent reform to protect physical high street locations from disproportionate tax burdens. It also forms part of High Streets UK’s broader mission to unlock the growth potential of flagship high streets and ensure they are socially inclusive, welcoming and resilient.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR
For more information, please contact: nwec@headlandconsultancy.com
High Streets UK Key Policy Recommendations to the Government:
- Commit to enhancing policing in and around flagship high streets, with uplift reflecting the important role these locations do and can play as drivers of economic growth, tourism destinations and community anchors. Funding for those locations should be ringfenced and success measured by bespoke metrics – separate to the city as a whole – which recognise issues like business crime as a strategic priority.
- A clear plan for criminal justice system reform, to ensure that legislative reforms such as the removal of the £200 threshold for shoplifting and the classification of assault on a retail worker as a distinct offence are sentenced in a timely and appropriate manner. Strengthen provisions around Criminal Behaviour Orders to act as a robust deterrent to prolific offenders; if broken once, institute an immediate custodial sentence, without delay. Encourage the use of facial recognition technology to support this, with a focus on prevention of crime committed by known offenders.
- Develop and implement a nationwide, multi-agency approach to tackling all crime on our high streets, including that perpetrated by international organised crime groups which deploy organised rough sleeping, organised begging and organised anti-social behaviour as tactics, in addition to engaging in retail crime. This would require close, collaborative working between local councils, local authorities, Business Improvement Districts, the Police, and the Home Office.
- Pilot a standardised, nationwide framework for businesses to report crime, leveraging the Business Improvement District infrastructure in High Street UK locations. A consistent, nationwide reporting framework would support investment and growth, particularly for high street businesses with multiple UK locations.
About High Streets UK
High Streets UK is a pro-growth, nationwide partnership of business representatives which aims to tackle the most pressing issues facing the UK’s flagship high streets and unlock local and national growth.
Across the country, high streets face a wide range of challenges – from the rise of retail crime and anti-social behaviour to an unwieldy business rates system and rigid planning laws.
Through quarterly summits, the group will elevate shared priorities to a national conversation, while sharing learnings, ideas and solutions to ensure flagship high streets across the UK thrive for years to come.
Founding members of High Streets UK include leading Business Improvement Districts from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Newcastle.
[1] Annual Crime Survey 2025, British Retail Consortium
