Shoplifting and attacks on people carrying out their work are impacting on the business community and are a priority for Cheshire Police, the county’s commissioner said.

Police and crime commissioner Dan Price was responding to a question from Warrington councillor Kuldeep Dhillon (Lab), who said a BBC report had recently highlighted that every day in the UK there are 1,300 incidents of violence and abuse against shop workers and many fear going to work because of this.

Cllr Dhillon said at Friday’s meeting of the police and crime panel: “As a shop keeper of the last 42 years in Warrington and wanting to continue to serve the community that I have served for such a long time, what is being done by the commissioner and the constabulary to keep myself and the many other shop keepers and workers in Cheshire safe whilst in their place of work?”

Mr Price told the panel, earlier this month he had attended the retail crime summit in London where policing minister Dame Diana Johnson delivered a keynote speech on the government's plans to tackle retail crime, including a specific offence of assaulting a retail worker, as well as other measures in the upcoming crime and policing bill.

“I believe that significant changes are on the horizon, and I fully support them,” he said.

Mr Price said nobody should go to work fearing for their safety.

“I have learned through my engagements across Cheshire that rural crime, shoplifting, as well as violent behaviour towards people carrying out their work, is having a detrimental effect on the business community.

“I am fully committed to addressing the issues faced by businesses, and they will be reflected in my police and crime plan,” he said.

Cheshire Police issued a statement saying it takes retail crime very seriously and is working with retailers to target known criminals.

A force spokesperson said: “Each local policing unit has a dedicated resource within the beat management structure, who will target retail crime offences, supported by a force lead with overall strategic responsibility.

“Fortunately, violence during retail crime offences is rare, though we take any act of violence extremely seriously, which is why we have one of the highest charge rates for violence in the country.

“Making our communities safer and a hostile environment for people committing crime is our focus, and the lack of these type of offences supports the impact this focus is having in Cheshire.”