Norfolk has highest shoplifting prosecution rate, figures show, with one in three offenders charged

• Andy Ward has been speaking to Norfolk Police, the most successful force in punishing shoplifters - but more than half still get away with it

Less than half of shoplifters face the consequences of their crimes, new figures show - even in the county with the highest prosecution rate in England and Wales.

Norfolk Police has been the most successful in punishing shoplifters, according to the Office for National Statistics, with more than 31% charged, and 46% facing some kind of police action.

It comes against a backdrop of rising shoplifting figures. There were nearly 40,000 offences in the East of England in the 12 months ending March this year - up 22% from the year before.

Chief Constable Paul Sanford said the consequences of the crime meant everyday shoppers would be paying more for food and drink. It is why a "robust" police response is crucial, he said.

But challenged on the fact that two-thirds of people are effectively getting away with shoplifting in the county, said: "No, we're doing very well. We are charging a third, but there are other means of prosecuting individuals, whether it be through cautions, whether it be through summons.

"In total, 46% of people who commit shoplifting in this county get caught for it - that's the highest in the country.

"And I think if you're going out and committing crime and there's a near 50% chance you're gonna get caught - I think that's a good deterrent."

At the East of England Co-Op, security measures have been stepped up to try to protect staff - with workers now equipped with body cameras and given access to panic alarms.

Lee Hammond, head of security at the Co-op, said: "We have got a dedicated security service within the department that will come out and we will come out and we will identify you with the police and we will seek the punishment that fits the crime.

"So, this year so far we've already got over 500 weeks of custodial sentences in Norfolk so we're working really closely now with Norfolk Police and their business crime team to really push that forward."

More than £1,000 worth of stock was recently stolen from the book shop Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Norwich - the kind of cost independent shops say they just cannot afford.Owner Leanne Fridd said: "We're just a family. I don't have the ability to absorb those costs because we don't have a giant company over us," she said.

The government is promising a stronger police response - even to so-called "low-value" thefts of under £200.

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