Apparently the thieves were targeting popular pastry shops.
Staff at fast food chain Greggs have been equipped with body cameras and required to wear them throughout their shifts amid a sharp rise in sausage roll thefts and assaults on staff.
Wearable video recording devices are currently being trialled at some of Greggs' busiest stores, including the London Bridge station branch where signage has already been erected.
The sign reads: “To ensure the safety of customers and colleagues, we are trialling body cameras in this store. Audio and video will be recorded.”
Staff at some of the chain's busiest stores have reportedly suffered a series of recent attacks and altercations with customers.
An employee who asked not to be named told sun: “Cameras were introduced because staff feared they might be attacked.
“Everyone is noticing an increase in shoplifting.
“If it's captured on body camera, they're more likely to put off trying.”
The device is capable of recording up to 90 minutes of footage, so staff are advised to turn it on if they are concerned about an argument or issue.
Another staff member said: “They don't really do much because they take five seconds to boot up and start recording. By the time you put it on, the thief is gone.”
Greggs is not the first food chain to introduce extra safety measures to keep staff safe.
Supermarket chain Lidl took a similar step last year, equipping staff in all its UK stores with cameras in response to a surge in shoplifting cases.
“Safety is always our absolute priority,” Lidl GB CEO Ryan McDonnell said in a press release at the time.
Greggs is also joining Primark, Tesco and the Co-Op in rolling out cameras as a means of keeping staff safe.
#Greggs #staff #equipped #body #cameras #39concerned39 #rise #sausage #roll #thefts
