Two in five firms hit as crime costs business €938m

CRIME is estimated to cost Irish business €938 million a year as two out of five businesses reported being victims of crime last year.

On average €107m worth of goods is stolen annually through shoplifting and theft, according to the latest National Small Business Crime Survey.

The fourth survey conducted on behalf of the Small Firms Association also reveals that over one in ten respondents claimed they or their employees had suffered threats or actual violence in the 12 months to last October.