Truro and Falmouth MP Jayne Kirkham has heard shop workers’ “scary” first-hand experiences of crime, violence and abuse, writes Local Democracy Reporter Lee Trewhela.

The Labour MP spoke to staff in Truro’s branches of Tesco, Poundland and Primark on Friday (November 15) – the city has seen a shoplifting epidemic with an estimated £1m worth of goods stolen over the past year.

Ms Kirkham visited Truro’s shopping centre to shine a light on the issue of retail crime and give an opportunity for those working in the retail sector to raise concerns regarding their safety and to hear the government’s plan to clamp down on shoplifting and antisocial behaviour (ASB).

A recent survey from the union showed nearly a fifth of shop workers suffered a violent attack last year, while almost half reported they had been threatened, and seven in ten were verbally abused by customers.

We spoke to traders in Truro in August who told us shoplifting has never been as bad in the city. Martin Gaunt, part-owner of quirky gift shop Happy Piranha in Pydar Street – which has been particularly active in reporting shoplifting – aired his concerns about what he calls an “epidemic” with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper when she visited Truro just before the General Election.

“Shoplifting is an artery feeding the worst criminals you’re likely to ever encounter. It feeds the drug dealer and enslaves the addict. It feeds into organised crime and we have had direct experience of that,” he said. Mr Gaunt added that at one point his business was hit by a spate of thefts where five out of six of the perpetrators were carrying weapons.

Ms Kirkham said: “The experiences that I’ve heard about are scary and not something anyone should have to deal with in their place of work. Retail staff and shop managers feel powerless. They’re staff going about their jobs in the very public work space of the shop floor and they absolutely should feel secure and safe in that environment.”

She added that despite town and city councils in Cornwall, including Truro, having street rangers, ASB officers and volunteer special constables who carry out foot patrols in targeted areas, and ShopWatch/DISC radio schemes to track professional thieves who may be working in coordinated teams, shop managers still struggle with shoplifting and antisocial behaviour.

The MP said: “Stealing isn’t a victimless crime. This issue isn’t about respect, it goes beyond that sadly. This is about verbal abuse and sometimes even physical assault. The repercussions of being persistently treated this way are incredibly worrying, with retail workers often feeling threatened, even fearful, about coming into work. That’s not something that people who work in our shops in Cornwall should be dealing with day in day out.”

Co-op stores saw a rise in shoplifting incidents in 2023 with over 1,000 incidents every day across its 2,500 stores – a 44 per cent increase compared to 2022. Its Truro shop is one of the worst affected in the city.

Ms Kirkham told us that Devon & Cornwall Police did not attend in 93 per cent of cases where an offender was detained in Co-op stores. As a result the retail giant has spent £240m in the last five years alone on store security including body-worn cameras, CCTV and product protection such as cases for steaks. In addition, 2023 saw a rise of 34 per cent in physical attacks on Co-op workers compared to 2022.

Jayne Kirkham MP with street wardens outside Truro\'s Co-op store which has been hit by shoplifting Jayne Kirkham MP with street wardens outside Truro\'s Co-op store which has been hit by shoplifting (Image: Submitted)

“The good news is that I was able to assure many people that robust responses to these crimes that devastate lives and corrode our communities are forthcoming from this new Labour government, as Yvette Cooper, the Secretary of State for the Home Office, promised when she visited Truro during my election campaign,” she added.

The Labour government has promised to tackle violence on our high streets, including a reversal of the Conservatives’ shoplifters’ charter, which set a £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, new money announced in the budget to be invested in prevention and training, including an extra £5 million over three years to crack down on organised shop theft gangs and £2 million for the National Business Crime Centre, a shared resource for both police and businesses to learn and support each other.

The government says there will also be a new stand-alone offence for criminals who assault retail workers and 13,000 additional neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on the street, including guaranteed patrols in retail crime hotspots and a named officer for shopkeepers and retail staff to contact directly.

“This Labour government is serious about crime,” said Ms Kirkham. “Our plans will put a police presence back into our town centres; something that should be a given for any civilised society. It will take time, but we are dedicated to rebuilding the trust between the retail community, shoppers and the police service. We expect our high streets to be safe – and soon they will be once again.”