British retailers appealed for government help yesterday after losses from shop crime leapt by £100 million a year to £1.8 billion.

Despite the losses, shop spending on crime prevention fell from £800m to £600m a year, according to ninth annual retail crime survey by the British Retail Consortium.

Forum Response: British Retail Consortium

Bill Moyes, director general, of the British Retail Consortium, told ePolitix.com: "Retail Crime is a constant priority for the industry. These figures show how determined retailers have been to tackle this serious problem. Massive investment of resources over recent years has led to some significant successes.

"However, retail crime does not stop at the shop door. The areas of criminal activity that concern retailers most are the problems that effect everyone - youth crime, the problems of drug related crime, and the disturbing increases in violence and robbery. The retail sector is not immune to the forces at work in society at large and, as an integral part of the local community. We play a vital role in tackling criminal behaviour but we cannot do everything.

"The government has made it clear that crime reduction is everyone's business. If this is so it needs to meet business part way and demonstrate a practical commitment which we do not see at present.

"The government needs to ensure that it is fully behind business initiatives to tackle crime such as the already proven Community Crime Reduction Partnerships and the Safer Shopping Award and new developments such as the Business Information Crime System and the National Retail Crime Database. Its support must include selective start-up funding to ensure that the full range of business skills on offer are properly supported and encouraged. We have played our part - and done so successfully. We look for the government to play its part."

Forum Response: USDAW

A spokesman for USDAW told ePolitix.com: "The most worrying aspect of the survey for us is the substantial increase in violent crime.

"We always tell our members not to put themselves at risk in order to defend goods or property, but in the light of this survey we will re-issue this advice as a matter of urgency."