Thousands of independent retailers now believe the problems they face from violent crime and shop theft is a bigger threat to their survival than competition from the major superstores. In a straw poll taken this week, most readers of The Grocer said crime in small stores was running out of control and saw no sign of the situation easing. They called on new Home Secretary David Blunkett to be more positive than his predecessor Jack Straw. Furthermore, there were many who refused to be identified when questioned for fear of reprisals, even when it was pointed out that their comments would be appearing in the trade press and not in a national or local newspaper. Jimmy Dhaliwal, a partner in the family-run B&D Supermarket at Tamworth, Staffordshire, said: "In certain areas, crime is a bigger problem to the neighbourhood retailer than the threat posed by superstore competition. "The police turn a blind eye to anything but serious crime and, in doing so, appear to condone shop theft which, in our own case, is costing us more than £5,000 a year. "Some officers are happy to let us deal with it in our own way, while there are others who have a go at us if they think we have been heavy-handed." Dhaliwal, who admitted that his family had been ticked off by the police for the way they had dealt with a thief, accused the government of encouraging a lawless society. He said: "I admit they have effectively frozen any duty increases on alcohol, but they should have brought it down. "However, by continually increasing cigarette duty, they are encouraging bootlegging." Dhaliwal also believed that the sharp increase in fuel costs forced prices up across the board which, in turn, encouraged people to become shoplifters. It was a similar story from Norman Grant, a c-store and off licence proprietor from Hindley Green, near Wigan, Lancashire. He said: "There simply aren't enough police and the government can't seem to see it. "They could do worse than follow the example of New York, which put 60% more police officers in Times Square ­ often described as the crime capital of the US ­ and saw crime reduced by 40%." Grant accused the government of doing too little, too late and said: "Small stores in the country's problem areas are the soft touches for criminals. "The superstores have uniformed guards at their entrance and exit points and that is something most independents can't afford. "It is driving crime to the neighbourhood." {{GROCER CLUB }}