Hastings shop workers regularly 'threatened with knives and dirty needles'

John Bownas, manager of both Love Hastings and the Hastings Business Crime Reduction Partnership, said it was ‘rare’ for shop staff to be seriously assaulted in the town but the ‘psychological impact’ of the threats they were subjected to ‘almost daily’ was ‘enormous’.

His comments come as a new law that would make it a specific offence to assault a shop worker has been welcomed by businesses, with Mr Bownas saying that the move had been ‘warmly’ supported by members of the Hastings ShopWatch scheme.

Last week, the Government announced the move to create the new offence, which means perpetrators could be sent to prison for up to six months, receive an unlimited fine and be banned from going back to the shop where they committed their crimes, with criminal behaviour orders barring them visiting specific premises.

For the most serious cases of assault, such as causing grievous bodily harm with intent, offenders could face a life sentence, the Government announced.

The Government also said it is also stepping up action to clamp down on offenders who repeatedly target high streets, with serial offenders forced to wear tags to track their movements.

Mr Bownas, who is also Sussex county lead for Crimestoppers, said: “Thankfully in Hastings it is rare for shop workers to be seriously assaulted, however, the psychological impact of the threats that many of them receive almost daily is enormous. I hear of workers being threatened with knives and dirty needles, as well as being told that someone will be waiting for them when they leave to go home at night.

“It’s absolutely right that the courts should have more powers to deal with these offenders, and we welcome the news that stiffer sentences will be available alongside the use of Criminal Behaviour Orders, tagging for prolific offenders, and more use of facial recognition technology.

“I’m aware this last subject has raised concerns in the past, but people need to understand how the systems work. All they are doing is scanning an area to look for known faces – people who have been previously convicted of thefts from stores or violent behaviour.

“The cameras ignore anyone who isn’t a possible match, but when a likely face is recognised, this will be flagged to a human operator for confirmation purposes.

“I have every sympathy for people struggling with the cost of living crisis, however there are plenty of support agencies and charities who will make sure that families don’t go hungry.

“Unfortunately, the prolific repeat offenders we see day in, and day out are typically dealing with addiction issues, and using the proceeds of their crimes to pay for this.

“With my Crimestoppers hat on I would urge people with information regarding anyone thought to be regularly buying stolen goods to report this via the helpline. It is completely anonymous and allows the charity to build up a database of evidence that may allow the police to act. If thieves realise that it is hard to sell stolen items on, they are less likely to offend in the first place.”