00:00Across the past few years, shoplifting has hit an all-time high. And it's not just
00:04businesses on your high street, but in the countryside as well, with Gibson's farm
00:08shop in Wingham suffering a theft caught on CCTV. Recent data has shown that shoplifting
00:13has increased 133% over the last five years, with 2024-2025 seeing more than 530,000 incidents
00:22reported.
00:24The police were made aware of the incident at Gibson's and the shop have said that if
00:28it continues, it could further impact their profits, which could hurt other small businesses
00:32that they support in the area.
00:35So margins are quite tight at the minute. A lot of businesses are struggling. We've got
00:39staff increases, we've got fuel increases, we've got a number of different things going
00:45up and margins are quite small at the minute. So we support a hundred local businesses here
00:51in Kent. And we kind of really work together really well. And so if we're not making the
00:59margin, it's going to be able to stop us buying from those businesses. It's going to have a
01:05knock-on effect.
01:06Now, they've said this isn't the first time that they've seen people taking things off
01:09their shelves. But with recent incidents in mind, they're considering upping security measures,
01:14even having someone maybe posted at the entrance and exit.
01:17But shoplifting doesn't just impact profits, but the workers as well.
01:21Well, it's not very nice really. If something happens, you know you've been hit and it's
01:26a day that you've worked, you feel like you've sort of failed a little bit in your responsibilities
01:30at work. Yeah, it just makes you feel a little bit low. So like you've sort of let the company
01:38down. You're looking at the customers, you're looking at what's in their trolleys or their bags
01:42and everything. And you don't want to be looking at every customer as if are they
01:47taking something that they shouldn't be taking. Kent police said they received a report of theft
01:52from a business in Wingham, Canterbury. And it is alleged that at around 2pm on the 25th
01:57of April, 2026, multiple bottles of alcohol were stolen from a farm shop. Anyone with information
02:03should contact Kent police on 018 43 2222 89. As the amount of shoplifting across Kent
02:10hits record highs, even rural businesses like Gibson's are affected and other businesses may
02:15need to consider upping their security no matter if they're in cities or the countryside.
02:20Finn McDermid for KMTV in Wingham
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