FREEDOM FROM FEAR CAMPAIGN

That this House expresses concern at figures released by the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) annual crime survey which show a 50 per cent. increase in violence against shop workers and an increase of 18 per cent. in the number of incidents per 100 stores; draws attention to the fact that in 2006 there were also over 10,000 physical attacks on shop workers and 62,000 reported incidents of verbal abuse; acknowledges the adverse effect this has on retailers, staff, customers and the wider community; recognises the right of shop workers to be able to go to work without the fear of violence and abuse; supports the BRC and USDAW's Freedom from Fear campaign, which seeks to build on the work of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships by bringing together retailers, shop workers, councils and police to work together to rid our shops and shopping areas of this criminal and anti-social behaviour; and congratulates the campaign for raising awareness of this disturbing problem, promoting respect for shop workers and improving safety in retail workplaces for the benefit of all.