SUPERDRUG has issued police-style bodycams and headsets to staff amid soaring levels of violence by shoplifting thugs.
Abuse and attacks on shop workers rocketed 50 per cent from 870 to 1,300 incidents-a-day last year, according to a leading trade body.
And the pharmacy giant has now ordered the urgent issue of tech in its 765 stores to combat a record wave of “violence and aggression”..
Superdrug announced its drive as footage emerged on TikTok showing a shopgirl in tears after being given a bodycam - and still being terrorised by thieving thugs.
A mocking comment posted with laughing emojis with the distressing images - believed to be from the drug chain’s Colchester branch - read: “Saturdays are a tough gig”.
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Stores are resorting to desperate measures after the British Retail Consortium blasted “woefully inadequate” government action to tackle the High Street “crisis”.
The consortium’s survey also revealed shoplifting has more than doubled to 16.7 million incidents in the past year, up from eight million.
Superdrug is now rolling out body-worn cameras and headsets to enable staff to record offenders and raise the alarm.
Anxious employees are also receiving training on how to deal with, “aggressive customers, shoplifting, sale floor safety and customer confrontation”.
A member of staff at one south London store in a shopping centre told The Sun: “We have been given bodycams, headsets and undercover security comes round in the afternoon.
“The problem is they are not always here when you need them.
“We deal with most of our thefts ourselves as we don’t have enough staff for someone to leave the shop floor with them.”.
Thieving yobs have posted videos on TikTok showing them dodging security alarms and getting away with stealing cosmetics from Superdrug and Boots.
Superdrug, said: “Our priority is to make sure colleagues feel prepared and protected in their working environment.
“We can confirm that our store colleagues are equipped with headsets and bodycams and in addition, we have recently rolled out training to help keep our store teams safe.”
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The British Retail Consortium’s Graham Wynn said: The cost of theft has soared to almost £1 billion a year.”
Lidl and Poundland are also introducing bodycams while Tesco and Sainsbury’s already have them.
