CLEANERS at a shopping centre have been issued with stab vests after other staff were assaulted.
“Front-of-house” workers now wear body armour costing up to £600 after protective kit was rolled out to security last year.
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Shoppers welcomed the move at County Square in Ashford, Kent.
One, Tracey Smith, said: “If nothing more, it could be a deterrent.
“Whenever we come here, we have always felt safe. But they have got to protect staff.”
Another, Derek Warner, added: “I think it is just part of life now.”
Last year, the centre closed earlier after staff were physically assaulted.
In 2020, armed cops were called to reports of a group with knives.
Local security expert Oli Nonis says there has been an unprecedented rise in assaults on retail workers, and more staff will soon be wearing body armour.
County Square said: “Personal Protective Equipment of this nature is becoming standard issue in the shopping centre industry.”
It comes as stores bring in measures to fight rising crime.
Tesco has tagged items as cheap as £2 while smaller shopkeepers keep weapons. Last year 200,000-plus thefts went unpunished, up 32 per cent.