Angel Islington BID's new campaign to tackle the scourge of shoplifting in the area gathered pace this week at a roundtable with retailers, police and local authorities.

Ten speakers from the areas of retail, law, academia, police and council, offered their perspectives at the 'Tackling Retail Crime Together' forum. Discussion spanned understanding the current situation and implications for retail and the human cost of retail crime, opportunities for improvement, and possible solutions and best practice. The meeting was a productive walkthrough of the criminal justice system, identifying the weak points that prevented the detection, reporting, arrest, charge, prosecution and rehabilitation of shoplifters in the Angel, with progress made on addressing the barriers. The group's next focus will be designing a sustainable, joined-up approach to dealing with prolific offenders, with plans to reconvene in a month. Angel Islington BID launched its 'Human Cost of Retail Crime' campaign last month, responding to calls from members for greater focus on the issue following a significant rise in retail crime. BID Chief Executive Ben Stephenson published a nine-point list of requirements he believed was needed to improve the system of detecting, reporting and prosecuting crimes against retailers. Mr Stephenson said: "Shoplifting is not a victimless crime but has a devastating impact on local businesses and their staff, who are increasingly facing violence and abuse. Our campaign seeks to raise awareness about the human impact of retail crime and push for more effective solutions. By working together with law enforcement and national organisations, the BID aims to create a safer environment for everyone in the Angel area. "The safety and wellbeing of our business community is paramount. We believe that by sharing the stories of those affected and working collaboratively, we can create meaningful change and support our local retailers." Yesterday's roundtable was the first in a series of BID events planned over the next few months with police, MPs, the Mayor and others, to raise awareness of the problem and its impact on retailers. Coming up includes a tour of Angel retail businesses on March 13 with Dame Emily Thornberry MP and other stakeholders to further highlight local challenges. Read more about the campaign here. You can also contact the BID's Programme Manager Jan Hart at Jan@angelislington.london.