MORE than 300 shoplifting incidents have been reported at Boots stores across Dorset over the past two years, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

The request, submitted by a member of the public, shows 318 thefts have been reported at Boots stores and chemists across the county since 2022.

In 2022, there was a reported 168 shoplifting incidents, the highest number recorded in the past two years.

Last year, there were 64 reported thefts compared to 86 so far in 2024.

A spokesperson for Boots said: “At Boots UK we take any theft extremely seriously, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to it in our stores.

“We invest significantly in crime prevention and actively work with the police and local authorities to report these types of offences.

“We are committed to continually improving security measures for the protection of our customers, colleagues and property.”

In September 2024, Dorset Police launched Operation Spotter, a campaign to reduce retail crime and support local businesses.

Dorset police and crime commissioner David Sidwick said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless offence.

“From regular conversations with shop owners, I know and have seen the impact these crimes not only have on a company’s bottom line, but on the staff and communities criminals target.

“We have done a lot to tackle shoplifting in Dorset since 2021, I set up the Dorset Safer Business Partnership to bring the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), Dorset Police and local business lead representatives and retailers together to fight business crime.

“The work of this partnership focuses on four key areas - crime prevention, crime reporting, engagement and visibility, cyber-crime and fraud.

“Dorset now has two Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRP) and both were set up to prevent and deter crime.

“High police visibility and tackling prolific high harm offenders is proven to deter criminals seeking to steal and Dorset Police has had much success so far with Operation Shopkeeper, which targets high harm and prolific offenders.

“Fighting shoplifting requires collaboration and that is what we now have in Dorset.”