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Owner told he cannot keep his shop's red shutters

Matthew Lockwoodand
Nathaniel Lawson,Local Democracy reporter
Matthew Lockwood/BBC A close-up of the front of One Stop Phone & Vape Store on a shopping street in High Wycombe. The shop is distinguished by its bright red branding, including a large fascia sign, red window frames and a matching awning extending over the pavement.Matthew Lockwood/BBC
Charanjeet Kukraija said shops were being targeted by shoplifters on a daily basis

A shop owner has said it is "frustrating" he has been refused permission to keep his bright red security shutters despite his concerns about crime in High Wycombe town centre.

Charanjeet Kukraija, who runs One Stop Phone & Vape Store on the High Street, said he installed the shutters to protect his premises from break-ins and shoplifters.

He submitted a retrospective planning application after receiving an enforcement notice from Buckinghamshire Council in July ordering him to remove them.

That application has now been turned down, and the enforcement notice requires compliance by December.

The shopkeeper said businesses in the town centre were being targeted by shoplifters "every day", and some stores were being forced to close.

Police forces across England and Wales, excluding British Transport Police, recorded more than 500,000 shoplifting offences in 2025-26.

In September the co-founder of Poundland estimated that shoplifting was costing UK businesses £18bn a year.

Kakraija said he would not need the shutters if the High Street felt "more secure", and called on police to do more.

Thames Valley Police said it was committed to "making retail crime a priority".

"By working closely with retailers and partners, we aim to prevent offences, support victims and bring offenders to justice. Our message is clear: retail crime will not be tolerated," a spokesperson said.

Matthew Lockwood/BBC The front of One Stop Phone & Vape Store on the High Street in High Wycombe. The shop stands out with prominent bright red signage and window frames, contrasting with the surrounding historic brick buildings. In the distance is a statue of a red lion.Matthew Lockwood/BBC
The shop sits within the High Wycombe Conservation Area and forms part of a listed, three-storey building adjoining the Grade II listed Red Lion Hotel

A previous attempt by another shop owner to install the security measures at the same premises was refused permission in 1990 before an appeal was dismissed in 1991.

According to the council's heritage officer, the inspector in that earlier case described the shutters as an "ugly and insensitive addition".

Council officers said those findings remained relevant today, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The High Wycombe Society also objected to the shutters, warning of harm to the building and the conservation area.

Kukraija said he had "no bad intentions" when he installed them, as he did not know at the time that he needed planning permission.

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