GMB demands safety in the security industry

New figures showing a sharp rise in attacks on security staff have prompted the GMB general union to demand more safety measures, including changes in the law.

According to the Metropolitan Police, cash-in-transit robberies in London – often involving gangs of youths who surround guards as they leave their van to drop off or collect money from a supermarket or bank – rose by 137% last year.

The GMB wants such attacks to be re-classified from a business crime to an attack on a person. It is also calling for new technology that will leave guards less exposed and render stolen cash unusable.