WORKERS at a major supermarket chain with two Inverclyde stores have been offered body-worn cameras in a bid to curb violence and abuse towards retail staff.

The Telegraph reported today that almost 1,500 crimes have been reported at the main supermarkets in Greenock and Port Glasgow since June 2018, with the vast majority of those offences relating to theft and shoplifting.

Tesco is far and away the most crime-hit store in both towns, according to Police Scotland statistics, recording more than 600 offences at its Dalrymple Street and Gallagher Retail Park sites in the last five years.

Seven assaults have taken place at the Port's Tesco over the last half-decade, while 18 assaults - including one serious assault - have been recorded at the Greenock outlet. A further 40 threatening or abusive behaviour offences have been noted across both shops in the same period.

Writing in a newspaper column, the retailer's boss revealed that the recording devices are part of a £44 million investment over the last four years in additional security measures to tackle such incidents, including door access systems, protection screens and digital radios.

Chief executive Ken Murphy said: "Money spent on making sure people are safe at work is always well spent.

READ MORE: 'Deeply concerning' figures reveal nearly 1,500 crimes across Inverclyde stores

"But it should not have to be like this. Crime is a scourge on society and an insult to shoppers and retail workers.

"These people are small in number but have a disproportionate impact."

Scotland has already introduced the Protection of Workers Bill, making it an offence to assault, threaten or abuse retail staff.

However, a survey by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) found that although the number of retail staff experiencing threats and violence has decreased in the last year, around three-quarters of the 7,700 respondents still suffered abuse from customers in 2022.

Usdaw general secretary, Paddy Lillis, said: "We are working with employers like Tesco to ensure better protection for shopworkers.

"There is no doubt that body-worn cameras do have a deterrent effect and we are supportive of such measures aimed at reducing violence, threats and abuse at work.

"Staff wearing cameras need to be properly trained and the public must be fully aware they are in use, to act as a deterrent to would-be attackers."