Overview

• Tesco acknowledged that individual branches may apply extra security to specific items when necessary.
• A Reddit image showed £3.45 blocks of Tesco-branded cheddar and reduced-fat mature cheddar locked in plastic enclosures.
• Official data from the Office for National Statistics recorded a 23% year-on-year rise in shoplifting to 492,914 offences.
• Tesco says it has invested tens of millions in prevention, including body-worn cameras, protective screens, entry controls and a 24/7 CCTV hub in Daventry that shares intelligence with police.
• Customers and commenters voiced mixed views, with shopworkers noting frequent theft of small, easily pocketed goods such as confectionery, cheese, butter and tins.