Tesco shoppers 'feel like Ronnie Kray' as security labels slapped on ham

Tesco has slapped security tags on £2 packs of their own brand ham and beef leaving shoppers baffled.

Photos have circulated on social media that show a range of anti-shoplifting measures being taken at Tesco in Blackpool, Lancashire, with the "security protected" tags activating an alarm if someone attempts to walk out of the store without paying for the item. Staff remove the tags once the items are paid for.

Previously, these were commonly placed on more expensive items such as alcohol however they began to be put on more basic products in 2022 as the cost of living crisis bit. In England and Wales, shoplifting offences have soared to their highest ever figures and the last year witnessed a staggering 516,971 incidents, per the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

READ MORE: Man, 21, dies as major music festival shut down and crowds evacuated

READ MORE: The last words my poor Jack said were 'dad did this and he did it on purpose'

Tesco customers were left stunned that everyday items such as sandwich fillers were a theft-threat, with shopper Dylan John, 48, saying: "It's like Fort Knox in there. You can't move without security keeping a beady eye on you. I only popped in for a lettuce and felt like Ronnie Kray walking round the aisles."

An image of the meat products found its ways onto X and other customers were quick to share their experiences. One wrote: "I just had to get a security tag removed from a £4 bottle of washing detergent at my local Tesco. What is going on??" Another put: "@Tesco I bought some pyjama bottoms at a Tesco Extra yesterday (I have the receipt!) using a self service till & there’s a security tag still on it! How do I get it off, given that I live miles from any Tesco stores that sell clothes."

More than 500,000 shoplifting offences were recorded by policein England and Walesin 2024 - a 20% surge on the previous year, and the highest since records began more than 20 years ago. Over half (56%) of retailworkers say they’ve witnessed so-called Kamikaze shoplifting - blatant, in-your-face theft - in their workplace, according to research by SafetyCulture.

Retailers argue new official statistics still massively undervalue the true extent of the crisis.Kingdom Security's Director of Service – Retail, John Nussbaum, attributes the climbing rates partially to organised criminals who audaciously snatch items on demand throughout the nation.

Mr Nussbaum said: "We are dealing with people stealing out of necessity, if they can't afford food, and they usually only take what they need, but we are also seeing a worrying rise. Shoplifting is becoming more and more brazen, which is a concern for the safety of shop staff, shoppers and security staff," warned John. "If people are willing to steal without any pretence, what else are they willing to do?"

"Shoplifting is no longer a victimless crime – if it ever was. The shoplifters storming into supermarkets, sweeping spirits off the shelves, and emptying entire aisles of laundry detergent, are also threatening staff with knives, verbally abusing people and overall acting very aggressively."

Cheese was another product considered as needing security tags by supermarket chains last year. A number of major UK supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Aldi were reported as tagging their cheese.

Crime maps reveal Leeds City Centre as the worst-hit area, with 3,004 shoplifting offences in 2024 - that’s one every three hours. Fitzrovia West & Soho in Westminster followed with 2,430, and Brighton’s North Laine & the Lanes came third with 2,116.

Also ranking high on the list was Cathays South & Bute Park in Cardiff (1,753), the City of London (1,687), Central Birmingham (1,407), Newcastle City Centre (1,240), Liverpool’s Central & Islington district (1,240), and Stone & Crossways in Dartford (1,229).