asda supermarket

Stores not currently using the cameras will be considered on a case-by-case basis for inclusion in the scheme

Asda has reduced instances of violent crime by 25% in stores by equipping staff with body-worn security cameras.

The supermarket giant initially introduced the cameras to four stores in a year-long trial in 2016, resulting in a 34% reduction in violent offences. The retailer then rolled out the kit across 300 stores, representing just under half of its total store estate, in a £1.5m investment.

Speaking at the Association of Convenience Stores’ Crime Seminar this month, Asda security asset manager Stephen Perkins said violent crime had fallen by a quarter at the stores using the cameras.

“Colleagues didn’t want to come to work,” he said. “It had become a ‘no-go zone’ especially at night. It was a significant investment but definitely worth it, Colleagues liked the investment we were making in them.”

Stores not currently using the cameras will be considered on a case-by-case basis for inclusion in the scheme, he added.

Asda has also confirmed it will remove the sale of single kitchen knives in stores by the end of this month, in response to the growing problem of knife crime.