Crime against business start-ups on rise

Date: 28th November 2008

Business start-ups lose almost £15,000 to criminal activities every year, according to newly published statistics.

The results of a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) show that over two-thirds of small firms suffer from vandalism, vehicle damage and threatening behaviour.

These findings are just the latest troubles in a difficult year for business start-ups, following rises in taxation and adjustments to VAT.

National policy chairman of the FSB, John Walker, commented: "We cannot allow small businesses to continue to be victims of the forgotten fifth of all recorded crime.

"What we need to see is the local police directly engaging with the business community to encourage people to report crimes."

He added that the police should also set targets and strategies for dealing with business start-up crime on a local level.

The FSB is the UK's largest business organisation, with a database comprising of more than 215,000 members.