The government has been urged to tackle rising violence against shop workers.

Delegates at Labour's conference were told on Thursday that in 2002 nearly 16,000 shop workers were physically assaulted and 49,000 were threatened.

The leader of the USDAW told the conference that attacks on shop staff, often working unsociable hours, were often given a low priority by the police because it was classed as economic crime.

In the latest stage of the union's Freedom From Fear campaign, John Hannett said basic human rights were at issue.

"It is appalling that shop workers have to face such abuse and violence on a daily basis. Our campaign aims to raise awareness of this important issue and to find solutions so that our members can exercise their right to work in an environment free from fear," he said.

The initiative came on the same day that figures released by Independent Retail News showed small grocery stores are repeatedly the focus of violent criminals.

Its survey found up to 40 per cent of victims had been attacked more than five times during the last year.

Conservative shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin said the figures showed the human cost of crime.

"Retail crime is not a victimless crime, as some people tend to think. Shopkeepers are human beings like the rest of us," he said.

"The figures are a symptom of the government's failure to get young people off the conveyor belt to crime and to tackle seriously the problem of dependency on hard drugs."