16/03/2009 - Crime affecting London businesses
One in five London firms have been affected by business crime in the last 12 months, research shows.
And over half of those companies said it had cost their business more than £5,000, according to the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
But almost a third of the 220 firms surveyed admitted they had not reported incidents to the authorities, with half believing the police would fail to take it seriously.
Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of the LCCI, called on the new Met Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, to make tackling the problem a priority, saying: "With the capital facing economic downturn and rising unemployment, our firms are more likely to be the victim of crime in the coming months."
However, the capital's image has remained intact, with more than three-quarters of businesses saying London is a fairly or very safe city to run a business, compared to the crime levels in other UK and international cities.
But despite the perceived safety, the number of businesses with contingency plans in place increased to 56%, from 46% after 7th July bombings.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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