Shoppers urged to be kind to retail staff as high streets in Lancashire brace themselves for a busy week
It's after stats show 455 incidents of abuse and violence towards retail staff are happening each day
As hundreds of shoppers are expected to hit the high streets this half term people are being urged to be kind to retail staff.
It's after stats show 455 incidents of abuse and violence towards shop workers happened each day in 2019/20, up 7% from 2018/19.
The findings also show that the total cost to retailers of crime and crime prevention was £2.5 billion, an increase of 14% on the previous year (£2.2 billion).
There are now calls for more laws to better protect staff.
The British Retail Consortium is calling for a statutory offence for assaulting, threatening, or abusing a retail worker.
Tony Clare, from shop workers union USDAW in the North West, said: "The most shocking thing that we hear on a regular basis is shop workers being spat at. It seems to have become something that people do to try and indicate that they've tried to infect you with the coronavirus by spitting at you and it's just become really prevalent.
"The traditional flash points have always been under-aged sales and shoplifting and general anti-social behaviour, and that's shifted very much to pandemic related issues such as people not wanting to queue, not wanting to social distance...those issues have been heaped on top of what was already a large problem."
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:
“Will retail workers in England and Wales ever receive the protection they deserve? Despite clear evidence showing the escalation of violence and abuse against retail workers, the Government has time and time again chosen not to act.
“These are not mere statistics, those affected are our parents, our partners and our children, all who needlessly suffer, just for doing their job. Many incidents arise as staff carry out their legal duties, including age verification and more recently, implementing Covid safety measures. And, despite retailers spending enormous sums on crime prevention, the situation is only getting worse. Scotland has sent a clear message that the rise in violence and abuse must end, and the rest of the UK must follow their lead.”