"We have about four or five incidents a year. Our store is in a residential area and it is fairly isolated from other shops, and I think that is the sort of target they are looking for. We've had people coming in and stealing things or asking for money. I've been threatened but I pressed my panic button and that scared them off. It takes the police a time to arrive, but the alarm is connected to a siren and that's what scares them off. When it happens, you wonder whether the risk you place yourself in is worth it. But at the end of the day it's your life or your livelihood. I think the number of attacks is increasing. It's definitely getting worse."

Yoresh Patel, Wheatsheaf, Mitchum
"Where we are is fairly peaceful and we haven't got a bad problem with crime. We have a CCTV system and the local police are good and come round to see how we are getting on. The main problem is petty crime and it's mainly just kids nicking things. It's annoying because it takes up so much time keeping an eye on them. We know most of our customers, so if someone new comes in we can spot them, and if they are acting suspiciously we can watch them and see what they are up to."

Mina Patel, Rowlands Newsagents, SW18:
"We've had a number of incidents over the years so when we refitted the shop four years ago we had good CCTV installed, and that has definitely helped. A few times strangers have come into the shop, looked at the CCTV, asked a few questions and then walked away. We've been running the store for 18 years so we know our customers well and can spot strangers. Most of the problems are just a few kids nicking things, but we have had a few serious incidents. When it happens it is very frightening and afterwards you just want to pack up, but you carry on and eventually think it's one of those things."

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