MORE JOBS IN STORE AS THEFT RISES

Northern Security has stepped up its recruitment of security officers as Britain is reported to be in the grips of a shoplifting epidemic.

The bad news for retailers has translated into a jobs boom at Northern Security which is reporting a rise in demand for professional guards to patrol stores, shopping centres and malls.

According to MD Paul Hopper, many retailers regard security officers on the front line as the best defence against shop thefts, said to be up by over a third on last year.

"To ordinary shoppers, the presence of a uniformed guard is simply a reassurance - but to would-be shoplifters, it shows that the store is being vigilant and taking its security seriously," he said.

New guards are being taken on at Northern Security`s headquarters in Carlisle, and at the company`s regional offices in Manchester and Middlesbrough.

Training given by Northern Security to its retail patrol teams includes being alert to the wide range of techniques now being used by thieves who target shops.

They are told to be especially wary of people wearing baggy clothes or walking unnaturally; both could suggested the person has concealed goods about their body.

Officers are on the look-out too for attempts to swap price tags, and for shoplifters who work in groups and create a distraction, usually near the shop door, so that colleagues can slip out unnoticed.

Other ploys include foil-lined compartments in bags which the shoplifter hopes will block the sensors on security tags which trigger an alarm at the exit.

Thieves have even been caught trying to get refunds using fake receipts they have printed themselves, or by attaching false bar-codes to products.

Paul Hopper says that very few retailers are asking for short-term contracts, and he suspects that many will be keeping their tighter security arrangements in place after Christmas.

"Retailers tell us that it`s not just luxury goods which are being targeted by the type of thieves who traditionally steal to order around Christmas time," said Mr Hopper.

"Food, for instance, is now on the list of non-professional shoplifters - which is why it`s now common to see security tagging on items such as joints of meat," he added.

Mr Hopper said that extra staff are also being recruited into the company`s divisions which design and install alarms and CCTV systems, suggesting that the economic downturn is putting more pressure on premises owners to stay on full alert.

Northern Security marked its tenth anniversary in 2008 and opened new offices in Manchester to handle demand from clients in the North West.