Tesco has begun applying security tags to some of its cheese and meat products at one of its stores in a bid to prevent shoplifting.
Small metallic strips have been added to everyday items like Cathedral City cheddar cheese and steak meat, along with a sticker on the packaging explaining what they are, to deter thieves.
Shopping experts said a rise in the cost of basic everyday items coupled with the economic downturn has led to a rise in thefts at many supermarkets across the country.
A Tesco spokesman would not give the reasons behind the move but said it was up to the individual store managers to enforce security .
He said: “We have a number of security measures that we enforce in our stores across the UK.”
“The decision to use security tags is always made by the manager of the store and tags are used on various items such as bottles of spirits, all at the manager’s discretion.”
The tags, which are usually used on high-value items such as alcohol, CDs and razor blades, have been introduced at the store in Brockworth and the move has been welcomed by local shoppers.