Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket, has experienced a higher level of theft this year and wants the police to work more closely with its stores, adding to the chorus of UK retailers warning about the growing problem of shoplifting.

Department store John Lewis said in September that shoplifting had reached "epidemic" levels, and called on the government to address the problem, while clothes chain Primark and grocer Co-op are both spending more on security guards.

The rise in shoplifting has come at a time of surging inflation, leaving some consumers struggling to pay for items.

Speaking after his group upgraded annual profit forecasts, Tesco boss Ken Murphy called the increase in shoplifting "a national problem".

"We would also welcome the opportunity to work much more closely with the police forces in the communities that we serve together to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of it," he told reporters on Wednesday.

Tesco has created a hub that collects data on serial offenders, and Murphy said it would be helpful to share that information with the police to counter the problem.

In addition to the rise in theft, retailers are also facing higher levels of anti-social behaviour.

Tesco has started to offer body-cams to staff who need them, and Murphy said the number of incidents, while small, was on the rise, up 30% in the six months from March-September compared to the previous year.

(Reporting by James Davey and Sarah Young, Editing by Paul Sandle)