Alex Davies-Jones, Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding, visited Gloucester on Saturday to highlight the growing issue of retail crime.

She said: "I'm in Gloucester to talk about Labour's plans to support our high streets and to promote safer streets in our communities. We know sadly that theft and shoplifting has gone up 50% and attacks on shopworkers are all too common and talking to people in the town centre they don't feel safe."

She said Labour had a plan to change that and change the 'Tory Shoplifting Charter' which meant that the police effectively didn't have the resources to treat seriously any crime of less than £200.

"We've heard from businesses today up and down the high street who have been targeted repeatedly - yes, only small amounts of goods being taken - but over time that has a huge impact. We would scrap that policy immediately."

Ms Davies-Jones, who represents Pontypridd as an MP, said Labour would have 13,000 more police on the beat and would introduce the offence of attacking a shopworker, making it a stand alone criminal offence.

"We need to tackle the causes of crime and completely overhaul the criminal justice system.to make sure that people are getting justice," she added. "We need our court system to be operating more efficiently."

Ms Davies-Jones, who has a niece doing rugby at Hartpury College, said she visited Gloucester quite regularly to cheer her on.

"It's a beautiful city," she said. "You've got so much to offer. The biggest thing that stood out for me today is the wonderful people."

Ms Davies-Jones was accompanied on her visit by Alex McIntyre, Labour's parliamentary candidate for Gloucester.

He said: "People don't feel safe going into Gloucester and that's the impact these crimes are having on our city centre. We need to get Gloucester back on its feet and to do that we need to stamp out these retail crimes in our city centre and getting people to spend their money in our local shops and make the high street thriving again."

Mr McIntyre said they had spoken to a woman who was assaulted only last week and when she phoned 999 nobody came.

"Under the Conservatives criminals are let off and victims are let down," he added.