Superdrug is handing out bodycams and headsets to staff amid rising levels of shoplifting

SUPERDRUG has provided bodycams and police-style headsets to staff amid rising shoplifting violence.

Abuse and attacks on store staff According to a leading trade organization, the number of incidents increased by 50 percent last year from 870 to 1,300 incidents per day.

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And the pharmacy giant has now ordered the urgent issuance of technology in its 765 stores to combat a record wave of “violence and aggression.”

Superdrug announced its drive as images emerged TikTok shows a shopgirl in tears after being given – and still being terrorized by – a bodycam thieving thugs.

Posted a mocking comment with laughing emojis showing the disturbing images – believed to be from the drug chain Colchester branch – read: “Saturdays are a tough gig”.

Shops are resorting to desperate measures after the British Retail Consortium slammed 'woefully inadequate' government action to tackle the problems. The “crisis” on the high street.

The consortium's research also found that shoplifting more than doubled last year from 8 million to 16.7 million incidents.

Superdrug is now introducing body-worn cameras and headphones that allow staff to record offenders and raise the alarm.

Anxious employees also receive training on how to deal with “aggressive customers, shoplifting, sales floor safety and customer confrontation.”

An employee at a store in a south London shopping center told The Sun: “We have been given bodycams and headsets and undercover security comes in the afternoon.

“The problem is that they are not always there when you need them.

“We handle most of our thefts ourselves because we don't have enough staff to allow someone to leave the workplace with them.”

Thieving youths have posted videos on TikTok showing them dodging security alarms and getting away with stealing cosmetics from Superdrug and Boots.

Superdrug said: “Our priority is to ensure colleagues feel prepared and protected in their working environment.

“We can confirm that our store colleagues have been equipped with headsets and body cameras and we have also recently rolled out training to protect our store teams.”

Graham Wynn of the British Retail Consortium said: The cost of theft has risen to almost £1 billion a year.”

Lidl And Poundland also introduce body cameras Tesco And Sainsbury's already have them.