Near another shoplifting hotspot, it doesn’t take me long to find a frustrated shop owner.
Janatheepan Nagalingam is the manager of a corner shop on Park Street.
He tells me he his shop is targeted by shoplifters twice a month.
But those who steal from him run the risk of having their faces plastered online, including on TikTok where he says he uploads CCTV footage of shoplifters.
“One lady was shoplifting… I put it on TikTok… I told everybody this lady was shoplifting,” he says.
Nagalingam reports some cases to the police, but if he sees someone he is suspicious of he will not allow them inside.
It is not the first time I have heard of shopkeepers taking matters into their own hands.
Earlier this year, I met Rob Ellis, who runs a store in Hull city centre. He told me he locked potential shoplifters in his shop until stock was returned.
Statistics compiled by the BBC show that North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, Hull, Lincoln and Boston all have shoplifting rates above the national average.
If violence or a threat of violence is used, the crime is classified as robbery, and these statistics are not included in shoplifting figures.
Statistics also show the area covered by Humberside Police has the eighth highest rate for shoplifting, with 10.1 incidents per 1,000 people.
Data shows that during 2024-25 there were 9,317 recorded shoplifting offences, rising to 9,706 in 2025-26.
Chief Insp Claire Jacobs, the force’s lead for retail crime, says: “We recognise the impact that shoplifting can have, which should not be underestimated.
“We are a smaller force but we are effective, and we care about our communities and delivering the best possible service with the highest standards.”
Jacobs says the latest Office for National Statistics crime figures showed a 40% “positive outcome rate” between August 2025 and July 2026, which refers to the amount of recorded crime ending in action such as charges, cautions or community resolution.
“We continue to monitor local trends in shop thefts and work hard to address specific issues such as hotspot locations and repeat offenders,” she says.