SCOTS retailers are keeping high-end booze and goods under lock and key in a bid to tackle a £150m theft crisis.

shops have introduced the dramatic new measures, with some emergency beepers installed right in the drinks aisles to alert staff when a customer wants a high-value item such as spirits or champagne.

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Retailers claim theft-the epidemic is compounded by the fact that cash-strapped Police Scotland “do not have the resources to respond effectively”.

Some stores also have other expensive items, such as steaks sealed in glass cases, only accessible by staff after it was revealed that theft costs the retail industry £150m every year.

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, late deputy of the Scottish Retail Consortium, told the Mail on Sunday: “The scale and scale of retail crime is now so severe that it is completely changing the shopping experience for customers.

“Unfortunately, shoppers are bothered by additional measures to protect staff and products – including security gates, lockers, box items, protective screens, guards and security tags – at many retail locations in response to shoplifting.

“With theft rates increasing every year, it’s hard to say when or even if shopping will return to normal.”

The Scottish Grocery Federation says the “tsunami” of shoplifting is so bad that 77% of shops don’t bother reporting thefts because they don’t think there will be a sequel.

Mr MacDonald-Russell added: “Retailers in Scotland lost more than £150 million last year with more than a million incidents.

“This loss is felt by consumers through higher prices and a poorer shopping experience as retailers are forced to use security measures to protect stock and reduce the drop from crime.

“The hard truth is that retailers do report crimes from time to time, but the police don’t have the resources to respond quickly and effectively.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “While we have seen an increase in reports of shoplifting theft, there has also been an increase in the detection of this type of crime.

“We work closely with the retail and business sectors to deter, prevent and investigate retail crime.”

A Scottish Government spokesman told the Mail: “We would encourage retailers to report all crimes to Police Scotland.”