Assaults rife in Jobcentres

More than one assault takes place in Jobcentres every day, official figures have revealed.

Statistics obtained from the Department for Work and Pensions under the Freedom of Information Act showed that there were 440 confirmed assaults at Jobcentres last year and 1,277 assaults in the last three years.

A BBC Politics Show investigation last month found that there were 2,345 recorded incidents of abuse against Jobcentre Plus staff in Wales over the last three years, including 41 incidents of physical violence.

The PCS civil service union took industrial action in 2001 over the issue of assaults at Jobcentres.