The British Retail Consortium has responded to an interview with John Hannett, deputy general secretary of Usdaw.

Hannett had told ePolitix.com that "there is growing evidence from our members of violence and abuse against shopworkers."

"We are lobbying ministers to make this a key performance indicator for the police. One of the worries we've got is many of the incidents are either not responded to or acted upon," he said.

Forum Response: British Retail Consortium

Bill Moyes, director general of the BRC, told ePolitix.com: "Violence against shop staff has become a serious problem for retailers in the last few years, particularly where alcoholics and drug addicts are the offenders.

"However violence resulting from disputes over goods, services, refund policies, queues or other issues also occur. All retail employers seekto make the shopping experience safe for shoppers and shop staff through security measures, such as the shop layout, CCTV, grilles, alarms andsecurity staff.

"The BRC is therefore pleased to be associated with the 'Freedom From Fear' campaign organised by USDAW. We share their concerns and their determination to ensure that retail staff are able to carry out their duties in safety.

"We also believe that the government needs to examine its current policy towards retail crime and accept that retailers cannot police the high street single-handed. In order for the police to tackle the problem, reducing retail crime must be made a key police target."