NEW figures show a rise in shoplifting incidents in West Northumberland, as police commit to bringing offenders to justice.
Across five Tyne Valley towns and villages: Hexham, Ponteland, Prudhoe, Corbridge and Haltwhistle, recorded shoplifting incidents have risen from 154 in 2023 to 243 in 2024 and 247 in 2025, according to figures released by Northumbria Police in a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
Over the same period, the number of cases that led to prosecution increased from 11 to 33, then to 54, meaning prosecutions are now more than four times higher than in 2023.
Hexham accounts for the largest share of the reports. Police logged 62 shoplifting incidents in the town in 2023, rising to 128 in 2024 before easing slightly to 96 in 2025 - a total of 286 incidents over three years.
By comparison, Ponteland and Prudhoe, which both have similar population sizes to Hexham - around the 11,500 mark - recorded 160 and 135 incidents respectively in the same period.
The FOI shows shoplifting is being reported in all five towns and villages, though at much lower levels in Corbridge and Haltwhistle.
Prudhoe’s annual tally has risen from 25 reports in 2023 to 47 in 2024 and 63 in 2025, while Ponteland has recorded between 47 and 64 incidents a year; Corbridge and Haltwhistle have seen 25 and 38 incidents respectively across the full time period.
In total, there have been 98 prosecutions arising from the 644 reported incidents, including 37 in Hexham, 35 in Ponteland and 23 in Prudhoe, with just three in Haltwhistle and none in Corbridge.
Chief inspector Jonathan Caisley said that Northumbria Police "understand the impact" shoplifting can have on communities, and that the force "care deeply" and "remain steadfast" to safeguard the public.
"We work very closely with local businesses to help put preventative measures in place and have neighbourhood officers who carry out patrols, targeted activity and liaise with shop owners," he said.
"We will continue to work hand-in-hand with them to tackle this type of offending.
"Throughout the year, we run dedicated operations and initiatives to tackle these types of crimes, identify perpetrators and ultimately keep people safe.
"As a Force, we completely recognise the impact of such offending and remain committed to bringing any offenders to justice."
Northumbria Police added that they encourage witnesses of shoplifting crimes to come forward and aid investigations.
Share