A Coventry convenience retailer has been forced to fit a bicycle chain lock on his chiller doors to prevent shoplifting after it cost him £12,000 last year.

Paul Cheema, owner of Malcolm’s Store, said as well as the bike lock, he had put bells on the chillers. He said the store had been targeted by gangs stealing large amounts of meat and cheese.

Speaking to Radio 4's You and Yours, Cheema said: "One man took 32 packs of bacon and 20 packs of cheese. We put bicycle chains and doorbells on our fridges so every time a door opens an alarm sounds."

He added that he was using social media to post pictures of suspects.

"These guys have got inner coats and inner pockets, they do what they need to do," he said. "There's a bigger picture behind this. They are not just nicking this amount of food to eat at home."

Last month, Retail Express reported that shoplifting in England and Wales rose 5% in 2016, according to latest Office for National Statistics figures.