The UK’s shopkeepers are having to deal with rising levels of violent attacks, abuse and shoplifting, new research reveals.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said store staff were subjected to half a million violent incidents over the last 12 months with physical attacks rising by 50 per cent. Threats of violence more than doubled while the number of incidents per employee rose by a third.

As well as having to cope with the emotional impact of crimes against their staff, store owners are also suffering soaring financial losses, the online poll revealed.

Data for reported thefts showed shops lost goods worth £205m to shoplifters, up 8.5 per cent on the £189m recorded a year ago. The total figure is probably even higher, the BRC said, as losses to undetected theft are likely to have risen by at least the same proportion bringing the total losses to £830m.

Kevin Hawkins, BRC director general, claimed the findings indicate that the current approach to retail crime is not working.

“The government and law enforcers must stop believing retail crime as victimless and committed by harmless petty criminals,” he said. “Most shop thieves are driven by drug addiction. They are certainly responsible for other crimes. They have a significant impact on our communities.

“In pledging an increased emphasis on ‘Neighbourhood Policing’ and, so called, policing by participation the government must recognise retailers are a valuable asset to our communities and that shop workers are citizens within those communities, worthy of protection. Not just part of a large industry that can go on taking this annual beating.”