Now police have launched a clampdown to combat the problem including working closely with shops.

In June incidents across the two towns trebled compared to the same time last year.

In July there were 13 incidents compared with nine the previous year and last month (August) figures more than doubled from seven reports of shoplifting to 15.

Community sergeant for the area Peter Huffer puts it down to what officers call a 'displacement problem'.

He said: "Often shoplifters or retail crime is carried out by people who travel to different areas and they will look for what they think is the easier target or the quieter towns.

"We very often find they are not local and they come from another town and when we go to their home town they are very often known."

Officers are in the process of meeting with retailers to discuss the issue. PC Huffer added: "We are dealing with one individual we believe is responsible for several thefts in Berkhamsted, Tring and Hemel Hempstead, and similar thefts across the county.

"We are aware of shoplifting and have had some very good detections in recent weeks."

Official figures from Herts Police show that it is mainly food shops that are hit, including Waitrose in Berkhamsted where there were five reported shoplifting offences in May, four in June, four in July and three in August. Meanwhile at the Marks and Spencer Simply Food store in Tring there were two incidents in May, two in June, one in July and three in August.

A duty manager at Waitrose Graham Linklater said: "It is an issue because it eats into your profit and wastage and it is time consumed because we have to keep people on the look out all the time.

"It takes away from the customer service you could be offering to genuine customers."

He added that it is often a habitual shoplifter rather than an opportunist committing the offences. "If someone steals something it is not there for the customer to have," he said.

PC Huffer stressed that figures are low compared to other towns. "When the numbers are relatively low it shows quite an increase in the percentage terms," he said.

A spokesman for M&S said: "We take matters like this very seriously and are working with the police to prosecute wherever possible. It is something we are trying to deal with."

Dacorum Neighbourhood Team Inspector Peter Edwards said: "While we have seen a slight rise in Berkhamsted for shoplifting this financial year so far, there have still been only about 30 since the start of the year.

"In Tring there has also been a slight rise, but it still only equates to 20 so far this year, which is about one every six days.

"This is in contrast to Hemel Hempstead where there has been a five per cent drop in shoplifting offences in comparison to this period last year.

"It is a situation we are closely monitoring and taking appropriate action to control."