Shop staff are suffering a horrifying level of verbal abuse, sexual harassment and physical violence from customers.

A snapshot of a week in the life of a shop worker commissioned by the union Usdaw showed a rising tide of violence and abuse, including racial and sexual incidents.

The union called for more protection to be given to shop workers as it launched a campaign urging the public to show more respect.

The survey showed refusing to sell alcohol and cigarettes to under-age youths was a major flashpoint in shops.

The union asked a random sample of 660 shop workers to record incidents during a seven-day period last month, which showed: 887 incidents of verbal abuse, including being spat at, sworn at and insulted; 224 threats, including threats to kill or burn down a shop; 107 cases of violence, ranging from slapping and kicking to being attacked in the street; 48 cases of sexual harassment, such as lewd comments or touching; and 32 incidents of racial abuse, such as offensive insults and threats.

Usdaw general secretary John Hannett said: "Usdaw's survey has revealed many shop workers are going to work in fear of being a victim of violence, threats or abuse and that is totally unacceptable. It's time for this hard-working sector of the workforce to be given the respect they deserve and the protection they should have as a basic workplace right."

The union demanded a proof-of-age scheme be introduced nationwide in a bid to tackle problems related to the sale of alcohol and cigarettes.

The survey showed that any one shop worker was, on average, verbally abused every 3.75 days, threatened every 15 days and a victim of violence once a month. Most of those who took part in the poll said they were concerned about being threatened or abused.

* Shopkeeper Leverett Appleby, who used to run Alldays in Boxgrove Parade, Worthing, was threatened by a knife-wielding teenager in November last year.

His attacker, Sebastian Flynn, 16, of Upper High Street, Worthing, was jailed for five years in January. The judge lifted a restriction on naming him.

Disabled Mr Appleby, 66, paid security guards £1,000 a month to mind the shop until he sold up to run another Alldays in East Preston, near Littlehampton.

He said: "I used to have hassle from kids every day. You had to build your adrenaline up knowing you might have a confrontation. It was always 15-year-olds wanting beer or cigarettes.

"It became impossible to keep staff because they didn't need all that abuse for £5 an hour. In the end the business just became unviable."

Mr Appleby is considering selling his shop in East Preston, where he says he also encounters trouble about twice a week.

He said: "At my age you just don't need the hassle. I'm not as fast on my feet as I used to be so I have difficulty chasing them out of the shop."

Shopkeepers speak out: * "I was spat at by a youth because I refused to serve cigarettes"

* "I refused a young lad alcohol. The next day I was beaten up for it."

* "A boy spat and swore at me after I asked for ID to prove his age."

* "I was attacked in the street on my way to work by someone I removed and banned from the store." * "I was told I would be cut because I refused to sell a bottle of beer." * "A customer told me he would set me on fire when I refused to serve alcohol."

* Usdaw is holding events across the country this week to highlight the problem.

Tuesday July 06, 2004