https://www.youtube.com/live/BRrI79iStXU

Retail crime steals more than products—it steals trust, safety, and value by turning everyday shopping into a higher-cost, higher-risk experience for everyone.

Incidents of retail theft have now reached an all-time high of over 20 million, and there are over 400 incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff per day.

And it is not a victimless crime.

It cost retailers £2.2 billion and is reported to be one of the biggest threats to retail businesses.

And for customers it increases prices and reduces store accessibility.

At the forefront of the national response Supt Lisa Maslen from the City of London Police and her focus will be the new Tackling Retail Crime Together strategy following its launch in July 2025.

In this in-depth interview, Supt. Maslen will draw on her decades of frontline and strategic policing experience to discuss his career journey, the evolving nature of business crime, recent legislative changes like the Crime and Policing Bill, and what more needs to be done to protect retailers and disrupt criminal networks.

Listen to Andrew Hawkins explain how crucial it is that polling remains balanced and reporting stays impartial — because once trusted sources like the BBC undermine that balance, public confidence in the entire process begins to collapse.

Another subject specific episode. OffTheCuth talks to the second best teacher in the UK (according to TES) talking about the need for literacy and how he is ensuring that those in Hartlepool, an area of high levels of deprivation, have the opportunities they need to succeed.