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More shop staff were subjected to verbal abuse last year as the industry's workers took a tougher stance on underage sales, a report has found.
Latest figures from the shopworkers' union USDAW revealed that 70% of staff had been verbally abused in the past 12 months, compared with just over 60% the previous year.
A massive 38% had also been threatened with violence, while 6% had been physically assaulted.
According to the survey, which came ahead of USDAW's Respect for Shopworkers week, almost half of all verbal abuse stemmed from a refusal to sell age-restricted products to those without identification.
Challenging shoplifters and refusing alcohol to intoxicated customers were also common triggers for verbal abuse, it said.
As C-Store went to press a female Costcutter employee from Evesham in Worcestershire was recovering from shock after a male customer vandalised the store she was working in and submitted her to a torrent of vicious verbal abuse. She had refused to serve him alcohol because she believed that he was buying it for an underaged girl.
Latest figures from the shopworkers' union USDAW revealed that 70% of staff had been verbally abused in the past 12 months, compared with just over 60% the previous year.
A massive 38% had also been threatened with violence, while 6% had been physically assaulted.
According to the survey, which came ahead of USDAW's Respect for Shopworkers week, almost half of all verbal abuse stemmed from a refusal to sell age-restricted products to those without identification.
Challenging shoplifters and refusing alcohol to intoxicated customers were also common triggers for verbal abuse, it said.
As C-Store went to press a female Costcutter employee from Evesham in Worcestershire was recovering from shock after a male customer vandalised the store she was working in and submitted her to a torrent of vicious verbal abuse. She had refused to serve him alcohol because she believed that he was buying it for an underaged girl.
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