High street giant forced to lock cheap food item in plastic boxes as cases of shoplifting soar

TESCO is beefing up security — by locking up tins of Spam.

The supermarket chain put the throwback treat in anti-theft boxes at one London shop earlier this week.

Paul Edwards

Getty

Tesco said security protection on products was introduced wherever necessary[/caption]

The tagged cases can be disarmed only by staff when buyers reach the checkout.

It came as the meaty wartime favourite’s average price hit £3.36.

Shoppers took to social media to complain, with one user fuming: “I realise products have risen in cost but Spam is far too high.”

Spam, a combination of ground pork and ham, was shipped abroad to feed troops in World War Two and was long considered a cheap source of protein.

But its price has risen by 6.7 per cent in a year — forcing Tesco to protect it from shoplifters in its Greenwich branch.

Graham Wynn, of the British Retail Consortium, said of Tesco’s move: “Stealing is not a victimless crime.

The £1.8billion a year lost to shop theft would be better spent investing in lower prices and better service for customers.

“Meanwhile, retailers are forced to spend a further £1.2billion a year on anti-crime ­measures such as CCTV, security personnel, and anti-theft devices.”

A Tesco spokesman said security protection on products was introduced wherever necessary and that it would not be a universal policy across its branches.