The Safer North Hampshire community safety team and Hampshire Constabulary have teamed up in the Hart District Council area to promote the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers “Freedom from Fear” campaign, seeking to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers.

The aims of the campaign are to encourage employers to improve security in shops, to campaign for Government to help tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in shopping areas, to raise awareness that abuse of shop workers is not acceptable and to give workers the confidence to speak out.

Hampshire Constabulary and Hart District Council will be carrying out surveys across the area to gauge how much of a problem there is locally with abuse against workers. Workers can also fill in a survey at www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear. There will be stalls in local shopping areas with more information on where workers can get support. Posters will also be distributed to local shops to display to customers, letting them know that any kind of abuse will not be tolerated.

Cllr John Kennett, chair of the Safer North Hampshire Partnership, said: “Workers have the right to do their job without being abused – whether in a shop, at a licenced premise or anywhere else – we want everyone to know that violence or abuse will not be tolerated.”

Anyone who experiences violence, threats or abuse should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101.

For more information including dates of any stalls you can visit www.safernh.co.uk. For general information on USDAW visit www.usdaw.org.uk.