London shoplifters: 100 prolific thieves behind 4,000 thefts in two years, Met Police says, as retail chiefs demand tougher penalties and faster sentencing

The Metropolitan Police has revealed that just 100 prolific shoplifters were behind more than 4,000 shop thefts in London over the past two years. Each of the criminals broke the law at least 31 times before they were jailed, and the shoplifting offences made up around a third of cases in the capital where a suspect has been identified.