This also happened: They installed an alarm on toilet paper in a chain of stores

Supermarket chain Tesco has put labels on toilet paper rolls that act as security alarms, as theft gets out of control in UK markets.

The stickers were seen on a four-pack of toilet paper priced at £125 (£3.75) at Tesco Express in south London, where the theft rate is among the highest in the country.

The tags sound the alarm when thieves try to steal toilet paper from the store without paying. One customer who paid for the rolls at the Bromley store said: “We didn’t realize the labels were there when we left the store and the alarms started going off, which was quite embarrassing.” he said. Bromley has one of the highest theft rates in the country.

THE CRIME RATE INCREASES EVERY YEAR

Emmeline Taylor, professor of criminology at City University, London, said criminal gangs were committing mass thefts of alcohol, baby food, sweets and custom meat.

Last year police recorded 342,343 theft offenses in England and Wales; In the previous 12 months the figure was 275,076.

In nearby Bromley South, which borders the same crime zone where the shop is located, recent statistics show there are 216 crimes per 1,000 people, of which 20% are classified as theft. Overall, shoplifting accounts for 8% of the 2,200 crimes reported in Bromley borough; this year it was up to 10%.

The toilet paper labels come after other items underwent additional security measures.