Proposals to use GPS tags are being discussed by Croydon Council to help combat issues with ‘prolific shoplifters’.

The plans would involve repeat offenders being given electronic ankle tags to wear, resulting in their potential exclusion from the town centre, which saw 4,796 shop thefts in the last year.

According to the council, the move is intended to crack down on persistent shoplifters who ‘repeatedly target local shops’.

The pilot is an element of the Mayor’s zero-tolerance strategy that is designed to target crime and antisocial behaviour, with the local authority working alongside Sussex Police and technology providers to explore the possibility of implementing the scheme.

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Benedict Selvaratnam, managing director of Freshfields Market in Croydon and co-founder of Croydon Business Association, said: ‘Shoplifting has a significant impact on businesses, particularly retailers. It is not simply the financial value of the goods being stolen.

‘There is also the cost of additional security, and the pressure it puts on staff, and morale. Persistent offenders make staff feel unsafe at work, and many businesses feel frustrated when the same individuals return repeatedly.’

Mr Selvaratnam voiced his support for strengthened action against repeat offenders, highlighting the importance of creating a ‘meaningful deterrent’ that breaks the cycle.

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said: ‘Our businesses have had enough of prolific offenders repeatedly targeting their shops, and so have I. My message is clear – that if you come to Croydon to steal, you should expect consequences.’

He added: ‘We have already secured a borough-wide ban against one persistent antisocial behaviour offender and put additional accredited officers on our streets. Now we want to go further.’