SIX shoplifters have been arrested in Taunton as police look to crackdown on anti-social behaviour and shoplifting in the town.

A 23-year-old woman, one of the six arrested, was charged with 25 counts of shop theft.

Avon and Somerset Police began targeted patrols in the town in late November – and they said these patrols will continue into the New Year.

Police said the shoplifting crackdown was prompted in response to community concerns.

READ MORE: CCTV appeal after burglary at Bigwigs hair salon in Taunton

READ MORE: Taunton airman ‘welcomed back’ as RAF veteran after LGBT ban

A 23-year-old woman, of no fixed abode, was charged with 25 counts of shop theft at Boots, Aldi, Marks and Spencer, Tesco Express, Co-op, Asda, Superdrug and Sainsbury’s, Hankridge Farm Retail Park.

The thefts took place in November and December 2024.

She was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison following multiple breaches of her bail conditions on December 23.

A 30-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was also handed a 16-week prison sentence on December 31 for actively committing theft in breach of his bail conditions.

Police said he had previously been arrested and charged with five counts of shop theft at Sainsbury’s, Hankridge Farm Retail Park and one count of shop theft at Asda, Taunton. He was also charged with one count of shop theft at Tesco Express, Priorswood.

A 51-year-old woman, of no fixed abode, was arrested and charged with four counts of shop theft at Sainsbury’s, Hankridge Farm Retail Park.

She appeared in court on November 26 and has been remanded in custody until January 10.

She will appear at Taunton Crown Court on January 10 for sentencing.

A 42-year-old woman, of Triscombe Road, Taunton, was arrested and charged for a dwelling burglary. She has been remanded in custody for a pre-trial plea hearing at Taunton Crown Court on January 10.

A 46-year-old woman, of no fixed abode, was wanted for breach of a suspended sentence by Taunton Crown Court.

Police said patrol officers in the town centre identified and arrested her on December 14.

A 32-year-old woman, of no fixed abode, was wanted on recall to prison. She was also arrested in Taunton town centre on December 14.

Superintendent Lisa Simpson said: “The impact of theft and threatening behaviour on retailers – especially small businesses – cannot be underestimated.

“Not only does it have a knock-on effect on the running of a business, which may have economic implications for the wider community, but it can cause harassment, alarm and distress to business owners and staff.

“We are continuing to review how we work in partnership with the Taunton Business Improvement District and security teams to provide stores with the support they need. This includes providing advice on reporting crime and anti-social behaviour, and making the process as quick and easy as possible using QR codes.

“In the meantime, our Volume Offenders Team and neighbourhood officers in Taunton are working hard to gather evidence and compile arrest packages for well-known offenders whose actions are causing harm.”

Police said work to make Taunton’s streets safer and support businesses “is not just one-off activity”.

They said a dedicated team within Avon and Somerset Police’s Incident Assessment Unit, the Volume Offenders Team, is helping neighbourhood policing teams identify where shoplifters are operating, which will allow for increased security measures in hotspot shops and resources to be focussed on repeat offenders with more than three outstanding crime reports.

A police spokesperson added: “Retail crime, including shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, is still believed to be under-reported nationally.

“We want to hear about these incidents so we can gather valuable intelligence and target police resources accordingly.”

Click here for more crime news from the Somerset Leveller.