Crime affects two-thirds of businesses and costs them an average of £2,000 a year.

The Institute of Directors found that among companies who had suffered from crime, 51 per cent had been burgled, 46 per cent had had vehicles they owned damaged and 33 per cent had suffered from vandalism.

More than four out of ten faced higher insurance premiums as a result, while 41 per cent had been obliged to make changes to their building's layout to improve security.

A further 23 per cent said trading had been disrupted in some way by crime.

But 86 per cent of all businesses said they were not confident that if they were the victims of crime, the person responsible would be caught.

Tuesday April 22 2003