Councillor slams Reform UK’s private police as a new shoplifting solution emerges

This story was written by the local democracy reporting service (LDRS), a BBC-funded scheme to improve the coverage of issues relating to local democracy. The Leicester Gazette has been a partner in the scheme since March 2024, and so receives some stories as part of it.

Because LDRS reporters are not employed by the Gazette, their stories do not follow our style guide or standards code****.****

                        Learn more
                    

Melton Borough Council (MBC) is launching a new project to support individuals caught shoplifting following years of attacks on local businesses.

The Offending to Recovery scheme goes live this month (June 2026) and involves sending a person with experience of similar situations into the community to provide support to repeat offenders and help rebuild their lives.

Councillor Sharon Butcher (Independent), former landlady of The Grapes pub in Melton for 18 years, has witnessed these crimes first-hand. She has spent months making this idea a reality.

She said: “It was always the same people. It’s a cycle, a merry-go-round. They steal to feed their habit or even to eat.

“It’s not really rocket science: if people keep getting locked up, coming out, doing the same thing, and getting locked up again, clearly something isn’t working.

“But they believe that people think that little of them, it’s not worth the change. And that’s why I like the idea of a person on the street with lived experience. I think they’ll listen to them because they were that person once.

“If you can inspire somebody and say I was you, I was stealing 20, 30, 40 times a day, and of course, you can get into work, too. That sort of talk, rather than people just swearing at you and calling you whatever, can actually build up their respect for themselves.

“They’ve got to love themselves again to want to make that step.”

The new officer, employed through a council contract with Ingeus, can help individuals address their underlying issues, point them to job or educational opportunities, and accompany them to medical appointments.

The scheme is funded by a grant from Melton BID, a not-for-profit company supporting local businesses, and by £10,000 from the Community Safety Partnership grant scheme, which is funded by the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

However, the funding currently secured will only cover the cost of work for one day a week.

Join the conversation

Our app is more than just a way to keep up – it's a gateway to award-winning journalism and the local community.

Want to support our work? Click here for membership__.__

The news comes shortly after the PCC, Rupert Matthews (Reform UK), launched his own safety scheme, introducing street wardens from private security companies to the streets of Melton.

The wardens are equipped with body-worn cameras and are trained in de-escalation, safeguarding, and mental health awareness, but do not have arrest powers.

County Councillor Ann Pendlebury previously described the officers as “effectively a private police force without the powers, training or control of our police”.

Costing taxpayers £2m, Cllr Butcher feels this money could have been better spent, for example, on expanding the Offending to Recovery scheme.

She continued: “That scheme is putting £2 million into security personnel who have no more powers of arrest than you or me. They are just walking around town shooing people away, and I don’t believe they are qualified to signpost people to the help they need.

“In contrast, this new person can actually address the root problem. I think the money would be better spent on a scheme like this.”

Deputy PCC Oliver Bryan said: “Following my meeting with Cllr Butcher, I was pleased to recommend an application to our Community Safety Partnership grant scheme as a potential source of funding.

“An application for £10,000 was subsequently approved, and the grant was paid on 23 April. Since that time, I have received no further communication from either Cllr Butcher or the scheme manager.

“We are united in our goal to reduce crime, which necessarily requires a focus on prevention. Whether through increased patrols or targeted one-to-one mentoring, the priority must be delivering measurable outcomes. We remain committed to an evidence-based approach to ensure we implement the most effective solutions possible.”

A spokesperson for Melton Borough Council said, “The ‘Offenders to Recovery scheme’ will be available in Melton from this June. This important initiative has been developed by the Safer Melton Partnership over the past year to address the impact of shoplifting and retail crime in our town centre.

“Through this scheme, the safer communities team will work in partnership with Ingeus to provide tailored support for individuals involved in repeat retail offences. Individuals will be referred to the new service by Melton Borough Council or Melton police, ensuring that those who need help are identified early.

“Delivered locally by professionals with lived experience, the scheme will offer tailored support alongside practical guidance and intervention. ‘Offenders to Recovery’ aims to reduce reoffending, support our local businesses, and help individuals make positive, long-term changes for themselves and their communities.”

Before you go… We've recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers, which is amazing considering we're a small team on a shoestring budget.

Now, we're ready for the next stage of the Leicester Gazette. Download our new app and get all of our journalism anytime, anywhere.

The app connects with Bluesky , Mastodon and Threads , giving you access to a network of around 60 million people. It's a safer, more meaningful alternative to mainstream social media – owned by the community.