Shoplifting under reported says Devon and Cornwall PCC

Image caption, Alison Hernandez said police and businesses can work together to tackle shoplifting

Police say shoplifting is still an under reported offence, despite an increase in recent years.

Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner (PCC) Alison Hernandez said the force had the lowest crime rate of shoplifting in the country for years because of a significant under reporting of incidents.

Ch Supt Antony Hart said despite a "really big uptick in the volume of reports over the last five years or so" the crime is often not reported and some pubs and restaurants may choose to make an appeal on social media instead - a course of action the police advises against .

He added: "It's really important because... if we don't know about them we're unable to investigate them."