THIS paper has long campaigned [...].

THIS paper has long campaigned for shoplifting to be treated with the seriousness it deserves. So, we welcome Labour's announcement that police are being instructed to investigate all retail thefts, even when the amount stolen is under £200. This hard-line approach would be more convincing, however, if Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood hadn't decided to release thousands of convicts early in a bid to ease prison overcrowding. What kind of deterrent is that? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]