by Marc Rath

The credit crunch could be driving a surge in shoplifting in Bristol, according to the manager of Broadmead.

John Hirst says the recession could be prompting more people to break the law, as the number of reported thefts rose by almost a quarter on last year.

But he said the increase in crime might also have been caused by the growth in the number of shoppers in the city centre following the opening of Cabot Circus.

Police say the number of thefts, including shoplifting offences, in the Broadmead area grew 23 per cent between April and November this year compared with the same

period last year.

There were 1,791 thefts in the Broadmead area between April and November this year compared with 1,454 in the same period in 2007.

Mr Hirst said: "The people who do my job in other parts of the country say they expect an increase in crime and have seen an increase in crime since the credit crunch. We want enough police resources to combat that.

"But the store managers are saying they have seen an increase in crime because there are more people about.

"There are 30 per cent more people in Broadmead, which totals about 200,000 a week, and there is a in excess of 500,000 of people coming into Cabot Circus every week.

"The increase in crime is probably down to a bit of both - the credit crunch and the increase in numbers."

Mr Hirst said the police presence has been improved in Broadmead and Cabot Circus since the start of November after he had called for patrols to be beefed up.

A radio system operating in Broadmead and the Galleries which enables retailers to warn each other about suspected shoplifters and thieves has been operating since 1995 and the area is also widely covered by CCTV.

Mr Hirst said: "Police have told us recently that they have added to the team and I'm not as unhappy now as I was. I want to see officers walking around being proactive - it's what our shoppers want to see.

"We knew there would be an increase in shoppers and baddies when Cabot Circus opened but we weren't getting far with the police in addressing that issue.

"Now, they've brought in extra officers and brought in a team which just covers Broadmead and Cabot Circus with officers on call at New Bridewell police station.

"It's vitally important to situation to the customers because they want to know they can shop in a safe place."

Martin Dunscombe, spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said: "We are aware of this increase and are determined to tackle it and remove this problem.

"We have a number of community teams who react to crime trends and the concerns of the community and shoplifting is one area that they are determined to tackle.

"Security staff are a key partner in helping us and we work closely with them to share information about the people committing these crimes and ensuring we have the appropriate resources in place to support them.

"The community teams are also supported by the response officers to make sure we provide a consistent service to the local people."

Police say the number of crimes reported so far at Cabot Circus, which opened in September, was low. But the force was unable to supply figures.

A neighbourhood policing team based in an office at the shopping centre liaise with Cabot Circus' 40-strong security team, which has a control room monitoring more than 300 cameras.

New research published by G4S Security Services earlier this month revealed that almost one million people in Britain would consider shoplifting presents to give to friends or family as a result of the credit crunch and the increase in the cost of living since the start of the year.

The Fifth Annual Retail Crime Survey showed that 2.6 million of those aged 16 to 64 admitted shoplifting in the last 12 months - a 30 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

G4S sales director Douglas Greenwell said: "The difficult economic environment may lead more people to turn to shoplifting to maintain their current lifestyle.

"But retailers faced with declining sales can ill afford to lose additional revenue.

"These losses can be enough to drive small and medium-sized retailers out of business."