Hundreds skip out on bills for their shopping

Rising numbers of “desperate” customers are leaving shops, restaurants and petrol stations without paying in Avon and Somerset as the cost-of-living crisis bites.

Home Office data shows there were 929 offences of “making off without payment” in the year ending March 2022 – up by 28% from 725 the previous year.

This is a type of theft where the person knows on-the-spot payment is expected for goods or services supplied, but they dishonestly leave without paying.

It can include leaving a restaurant without paying the bill, putting fuel into a car and driving off, jumping out of a taxi without paying, or even failing to scan items in a shopping basket through a self-service till.

It could also involve using a credit card to buy goods without the authority to use that card, depending on whether the card company honours the payment.

The increase in this type of offending is partly due to shops reopening after the pandemic – but it also comes as costs are rising at an unprecedented rate.

Analysis from supermarket chain Asda shows average household disposable incomes have dropped by £160.84 per month compared to last year. It blames sharp increases in spending on essentials including rent, groceries, transport costs, and utility bills.

Meanwhile, charities have warned millions will face a stark choice between eating and heating their homes this winter, with inflation expected to rise above 18% and soaring energy bills now predicted to hit £6,000 per year by April.

And while crimes of making off without payment have not yet hit prepandemic levels – when there were 1,448 offences in Avon and Somerset in the year ending March 2020 – rising figures coupled with the cost-of-living crisis have raised fears that many may turn to this type of offending through desperation.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira), said: “It is disappointing to see the increases in making off without payment. This type of event is damaging to retailers whose margins are already being eroded due to the rising costs of running a business.

“The increase may be a reflection of shops being open as usual, but I believe there may also be other factors starting to influence this. The costof-living crisis will invariably influence consumer behaviours and desperate people will do desperate things.

“Also, we have seen the cashless limit increased to £100, and there was always a fear within retailers that this change may increase the number and value of walk-offs. We are urging all retailers to be more vigilant because losing stock is even more damaging at this moment in time.”

Nationally, there were 51,486 crimes of making off without payment recorded by police in England and Wales in the year ending March 2022. That was a 29% increase on 39,780 the previous year, but 26% below the prepandemic figure of 69,440 crimes.

The latest figures show that while this type of offending normally eases off after Christmas, it has remained high this year. Between January and March 2022 there were 13,688 crimes of making off without payment recorded in England and Wales – 4% higher than in the peak summer months between July and September, and 7% higher than during the run-up to Christmas from October.

The crime carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, but in cases of low-level offending, it can sometimes be dealt with by a community order or a fine.