Co-op plan to combat retail crime

RETAIL giant Co-op has published a plan to tackle rising crime in the sector after revealing a record amount of violence against its store staff.

The company, which has its headquarters in Manchester, said attacking shopworkers should be a standalone offence in a bid to tackle the problem.

There were more than 300,000 incidents of shoplifting, abuse, violence and anti-social behaviour in Co-op stores last year, it was revealed.

The number of assaults increased by a third to more than 1,300.

A report commissioned by the Co-op, and written by Professor of Criminology at City, University of London, Emmeline Taylor, set out a 10-point plan aimed at turning the tide on the "alarming" increase in crime, violence, intimidation and abuse.