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Supporting independent UK retailers every day

Your shop matters.
Let us help you protect it.

Running an independent shop is hard enough without dealing with shoplifters, alarm call-outs, and staff safety worries on top. That's exactly what My Own Security Expert is here for.

We're a friendly team of LP professionals with 15+ years of frontline experience — including working with police commissioners on national shoplifting strategy. We give independent retailers the expert support that big chains take for granted.

15+
Years' LP experience
£M+
Shoplifting managed yearly
£79
A month to get started
Free
Initial assessment
👋Had an incident recently? You don't need to be a subscriber to get advice. Tell us what happened and we'll point you in the right direction — free, no obligation.
In-person crime response
Intruder & alarm attendance
Full security reviews
Staff safety training
Criminal & civil prosecution
UK law compliant — always
Why we exist

We know what you're going through — and we know how to help.

Independent retailers tell us the same things again and again. They're losing stock, their staff feel unsafe, police aren't coming, and nobody seems to care. We care. And we know exactly what to do about it.

"I know of members who fear for their lives inside the shops, and others making the decision to close up. The big supermarkets have expensive equipment — but there's no way most independent retailers can afford that."

Muntazir Dipoti, President — Federation of Independent Retailers
🚔

Police response is inconsistent

Only 16.7% of reported shoplifting incidents lead to prosecution. We help you build cases that are harder to ignore — and pursue civil recovery when the criminal route stalls.

😟

Your staff feel unsafe

Over 2,000 retail workers face abuse or threats every single day. Good training gives your team confidence and clear guidance on what they can legally do.

🔔

Alarm call-outs are stressful

Nobody should drive to their own premises alone at night not knowing what they'll find. Our alarm response service means you don't have to.

💸

Losses feel impossible to recover

Civil recovery is a legal route to reclaim your losses — completely separate from criminal proceedings. Most retailers don't know about it. We handle it for you.

Six ways we help

Everything your shop needs.

Remote support every day. In person when it really matters. All grounded in 15 years of frontline LP experience and UK law.

🚨Standard & Premium

Crime Response

We attend in person, secure evidence, and detain offenders lawfully where needed.

Learn more →
🔔Premium

Alarm Response

Alarm gone off at night? We attend so you never face it alone.

Learn more →
🔍All Plans

Security Review

A professional store assessment with a clear, practical written action plan.

Learn more →
🎓Standard & Premium

Staff Training

In-store training so your team feels confident, safe and properly prepared.

Learn more →
⚖️All Plans

Prosecution Support

Criminal and civil — we build the case and follow it all the way through.

Learn more →
💬All Plans

Ongoing Advice

Daily LP support by WhatsApp and email. A real expert, always available.

Learn more →

"We'd been losing stock for months and accepting it as part of running a shop. Having someone who actually showed up, understood the situation, and helped us build a proper case made us feel supported in a way we never had before."

Independent off-licence owner, West Midlands
530K+
UK shoplifting offences 2024/25
£4.2B
Annual cost of retail crime
16.7%
Of crimes lead to prosecution
84%
Of closures are independents
Simple, honest pricing

Choose the level of support that suits you.

No contracts, no setup fees. Cancel with 30 days' notice. Start from £79/month.

Essential
Remote expert support, every day.
£79/month

Advice, CCTV guidance, civil recovery letters, incident reporting — all from an LP expert who knows your situation.

Most Popular
Standard
Remote support plus in-person response.
£149/month

Everything in Essential, plus we attend in person for serious incidents, detain offenders lawfully, and review your CCTV monthly.

Premium
Full LP partnership — in person & online.
£249/month

Unlimited support, alarm response, annual staff training, full security review, and priority 24-hour access.

Ready to have someone in your corner?

Your first assessment is always free. No obligation — just a friendly conversation with someone who genuinely wants to help.

A little about us

Built for the retailers the industry forgot.

My Own Security Expert exists because independent retailers have been left behind for too long — and that needed to change.

Our story

15 years on the frontline. Now fighting for the little guy.

My Own Security Expert was founded by a loss prevention professional with over 15 years of frontline experience — working at every level of retail security, up to and including direct collaboration with police commissioners on national shoplifting reduction strategies.

During that time, we managed millions of pounds of shoplifting cases annually, trained hundreds of retail staff, built prosecution files that have put repeat offenders before the courts, and worked with police at every level.

What we saw again and again was that independent retailers were always the most targeted and the least supported. The big chains had LP teams and corporate clout. The small shops had themselves.

My Own Security Expert exists to change that — making expert LP support available to any independent retailer for a monthly subscription that costs less than a single shoplifting incident.

🤝

Always on your side

We advocate for you the way a full-time LP team would — but without the cost. Your problems are our problems.

📍

We physically show up

Alarm call-out, crime scene, detained offender — we attend in person when it matters most.

⚖️

We see things through

We build cases, pursue offenders, and follow criminal and civil proceedings right to the end.

💬

Always reachable

WhatsApp, email, Google Form — a real expert every time. No call centres, no queues.

🔒

15+ years of real experience

Frontline LP at every level, including direct police commissioner liaison on national crime strategy.

"You are not dealing with this alone."

Every independent retailer who joins My Own Security Expert gets access to the same quality of loss prevention support that the biggest chains in the UK take for granted. That's the promise.

Simple, honest pricing

Choose the level of support that suits you.

No contracts, no setup fees. Cancel with 30 days' notice. All plans include the full subscriber document kit and immediate access to expert support.

Essential
Remote expert support for retailers who want a knowledgeable team behind them every day.
£79/month
No setup fee · No contract · Cancel anytime
  • Up to 5 expert queries per month
  • 72-hour response time
  • Google Form incident reporting
  • Incident advice & guidance
  • One civil recovery letter per month
  • CCTV review & ICO compliance advice
  • Full subscriber document kit
  • Email helpline access
Most Popular
Standard
Remote support plus in-person response — expert backup you can actually call on.
£149/month
No setup fee · No contract · Cancel anytime
  • Up to 12 expert queries per month
  • 48-hour response time
  • Dedicated WhatsApp subscriber line
  • In-person crime investigation — 1/month
  • Lawful offender detention & police handover
  • CCTV review — 1 per month
  • Unlimited civil recovery letters
  • Criminal case file support
  • Incident data analysis & pattern reports
  • Security review in first 3 months
  • Full subscriber document kit
Premium
Full LP partnership — in-person and online, every month, without limits.
£249/month
No setup fee · No contract · Cancel anytime
  • Unlimited expert queries
  • 24-hour priority response
  • Priority WhatsApp access
  • Unlimited in-person investigations
  • Lawful offender detention & police handover
  • Intruder & alarm response — out of hours
  • Annual in-store staff training session
  • CCTV review — up to 3/month
  • Unlimited civil recovery support
  • Full criminal & civil prosecution handling
  • Monthly 30-min strategy call
  • Annual full security review & written report
  • Quarterly incident & pattern briefing

Need something specific without subscribing? Security reviews, staff training, one-off investigations, and civil recovery are all available as standalone services. Get in touch to discuss →

🇬🇧 All services grounded in UK law — Theft Act 1968 · PACE Act 1984 · UK GDPR · ICO CCTV Code · ACAS Code of Practice
Operational LP guidance, not formal legal advice. In-person availability confirmed at sign-up.

Report an incident

Something just happened.
Here's what to do.

Every incident you report to us is logged, analysed, and responded to. Even if you're not a subscriber — report it. We'll give you free initial guidance.

How to reach us

Three ways to report.

💬

WhatsApp — Subscribers

Fastest route for live incidents, urgent situations and alarm activations. Number provided on sign-up.

📋

Google Form — Open to All

Our structured form captures everything we need. Available 24/7. Every submission is logged and analysed. Access the form →

🚶

In-Person Response — Standard & Premium

For serious incidents, detained offenders, or alarm activations. Contact via WhatsApp for fastest deployment.

🔔 Active incident right now?

If there's any immediate risk to life, call 999 first. Then WhatsApp us. Standard and Premium subscribers can request in-person attendance. You don't have to deal with this alone.

Why it matters

Small incidents build big cases.

No incident is too small to report. Every theft, every threatening interaction, every suspicious behaviour you log contributes to a picture — and that picture is what builds prosecutable cases against repeat offenders.

47% of retail theft and 91% of abuse incidents go unreported because retailers feel it won't make a difference. When you report consistently through MOSE, it does.

Your questions answered

Everything you'd want to know before joining.

If we haven't answered your question here, just get in touch — we're happy to help.

Is it really legal to detain a shoplifter?
Yes — under s.24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, a civilian may detain someone they have reasonable grounds to believe has committed an indictable offence, where police cannot practicably make the arrest. We're trained in this, act strictly within UK law at all times, and always await police arrival before any transfer. We never use force beyond what is reasonable and proportionate.
What if the police take a long time to arrive after a detention?
We stay with you. We document the detention fully, continue gathering evidence, and make sure everything is handled safely and lawfully throughout. We'll also pursue civil recovery regardless of how long police take — a slow response doesn't mean the incident goes nowhere.
How does the alarm response service work?
When your alarm activates, you call or WhatsApp your subscriber line and we attend your premises. We carry out a thorough security check, establish whether an intrusion has occurred, preserve any evidence, and liaise with police where needed. You receive a written report within 24 hours. We won't enter a premises where there's an active risk without police — your safety always comes first.
What's included in a security review?
A trained LP professional visits your store and carries out a structured assessment of your CCTV coverage, layout, blind spots, alarm system, access control and staff procedures. You receive a written report with findings rated by priority and a practical action plan — focused on improvements that are genuinely affordable and achievable.
How quickly can someone attend in person?
It depends on your location and the nature of the incident. For live situations — a detained offender or an active alarm — we treat it as urgent. For post-incident investigations, we aim to attend within 48 hours on Standard or 24 hours on Premium. We confirm coverage for your area when you sign up.
What is civil recovery and do I really not need a solicitor?
Civil recovery is a claim you make directly against an offender for your financial losses — completely separate from criminal proceedings. You don't need a police report or a conviction. For claims under £10,000, the Small Claims Court is accessible without a solicitor, and we guide you through every step. We only refer you to a solicitor if the case genuinely requires one.
I run my shop alone — is this service realistic for me?
This service was built with you specifically in mind. The sole trader managing everything alone, with no security budget and no idea who to call when something goes wrong — that's exactly who My Own Security Expert is for. You don't need a team to have expert backup. That's what we're here for.
What if I just want to try it without committing?
There's no contract and no setup fee. Every plan is month-to-month, and you can cancel with 30 days' notice at any time. You can also book a standalone service — a security review, a training session, or civil recovery support — with no subscription needed. And your first assessment is always free.

Still have a question? We're happy to help.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you.

Whether you're ready to sign up, want to ask a question, or just need some advice after a difficult day — please reach out. We respond to every message, and your first conversation is always free.

Email us
hello@myownsecurityexpert.co.uk
Website
myownsecurityexpert.co.uk
WhatsApp
Provided on sign-up — fastest for live incidents
Response times
Essential: within 72 hours
Standard: within 48 hours
Premium: within 24 hours priority
🔔 Had an incident today?

If there's any immediate risk to life, call 999 first. Then get in touch — Standard and Premium subscribers can request in-person attendance. All retailers can use our form for free initial guidance. You don't have to handle this alone.

My Own Security Expert provides operational loss prevention services and expert guidance. We are not a law firm. All in-person work is conducted strictly within UK law.

We read and respond to every message personally. No automated replies, no sales calls, no pressure.