David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said more had to be done to tackle the problem.

Mr Lonsdale said: “It is appalling that thieving from shops has soared by almost a sixth over the past year. Despite record spending by retailers on crime prevention the rate of thefts continues to rise.

“Thieving from stores is not a victimless crime, indeed it is a key factor behind rising levels of abuse and threats towards shop workers and we know from member feedback that thieves are becoming bolder and more aggressive.

“The financial cost pushes up prices for shoppers and undermines the health and vitality of our high streets.

“More needs to be done to reduce thieving from stores. We applaud Scottish ministers and Police Scotland for the creation of the Retail Crime Taskforce, backed by dedicated one-year funding of £3m.

“This greater prioritisation, funding, and focus on persistent offenders and organised criminal gangs which target retailers has been received well by the industry and early results are encouraging.

“This should make for a more difficult environment for shop thieves. However, the funding and taskforce should be sustained and enhanced if we are to turn the tide on thieving and crime against retailers.”