BROKEN BRITAIN: Just days before Yvette Cooper pledged new law to protect retail workers - the moment a gang attacked this shopkeeper was caught on camera during second robbery in 48 hours

Shocking CCTV footage shows a shopkeeper being robbed and attacked by a gang of yobs twice in the space of 48 hours as a crimewave sweeps central London.

The Labour Government pledged to press on with plans to create a specific offence of assaulting a retail worker on Monday<march10>but just days earlier this gang a gang appeared to be able to repeatedly target the shop without being arrested.

CCTV footage from behind the counter shows the shopkeeper at 10:31pm on March 3 watching as a group of five youths, led by one covering his face, enters the tobacco and souvenir shop on Charing Cross Road.

The gang, including one female, and a second male with face coverings, looks around, before one of the males, whose face is clearly visible, comes close and leans in towards the counter, as if trying to look for an item.

The store keeper urges him to move back, which he does, but another male from the group then comes forward with his face also clearly visible.

He pulls the man out from the counter, before one of the masked ones starts to punch him and he is dragged out of view by the group.

A second video showing CCTV from behind the counter on March 5 at 10:05pm shows the first man to approach the counter in the first video, return and push past the shopkeeper to take more items believed to be vapes.

The shop is understood to have been targeted earlier the same day on March 5.

Then on March 9 the same shop was targeted again in a similar robbery involving a group, with the Met Police linking the attacks.

A Met Police spokesperson said: "Police are investigating following two reports of robbery at a shop near Leicester Square, WC2.

"The report, made at 10:09pm on Wednesday, 5 March, relates to one alleged robbery that evening, and another on Monday, 3 March at the same shop on Charing Cross Road.

"Officers are potentially linking the robberies to the same group of men aged in their 20s.

"No arrests have been made as of yet.

"Enquiries are ongoing.

"If you were a witness or have any information which might help police, please call 101 quoting 7996/5MAR."

Regarding the attack on March 9 the spokesperson added: "Police have been investigating a report of theft at a shop near Leicester Square, WC2.

"The report, made at 19:23hrs on Sunday, 9 March, relates to an alleged robbery by a large group of people earlier that day at the shop on Charing Cross Road.

"No arrests have been made as of yet.

"If you were a witness or have any information which might help police, please call 101 quoting 6173/9MAR."

Westminster is facing a spate of robberies, including of phones, pickpocketing and thefts from cars.

In another video, posted on Linkedin, a brazen thief smashes the back window of a Porsche before helping himself to more than £1,000 of items inside.

The crime happened in daylight hours on February 25 at about 12:40pm in a Piccadilly car park.

Around £1,000 of damage was also caused to the car. The same car park was hit a day earlier when a laptop and other devices were stolen from a vehicle.

Private security firm My Local Bobby shared dashcam footage of the thief who used a flat cap, headphones and scarf to conceal his identity in the hope of tracing him.

The firm is hired to do 24/7 patrols around Westminster, due to problems with local businesses not always being able to ensure a police response.

The 'Bobbies' carry handcuffs and often use them on offenders who turn violent before calling for police to come and make an arrest.

The firm's appeal across social media platforms said: "At approximately 12:42 PM yesterday, a white male suspect smashed the rear window of a white Porsche Cayenne parked inside Piccadilly Q-Park, Whitcomb Street, WC2.

"The suspect was wearing a flat cap with silver headphones over it, a Burberry-style scarf covering his face, a dark jacket and a grey glove on his right hand. He appears to have a tattoo on his left hand.

"Items stolen were a Moncler coat and Apple AirPods, valued at over £1,000.

"This incident is part of a series of similar thefts targeting vehicles in this and other multi-storey car parks.

"If you recognise this suspect or have any relevant information, please contact My Local Bobby on 0207 078 7460."

The government has pledged that it will put about 13,000 new dedicated neighbourhood patrol officers on beats across the country, to deal with these types of crimes.

On Monday, the Government's Crime and Policing Bill entered its second reading debate in the House of Commons.

Jo White, MP for Bassetlaw said: “I welcome the introduction of a new offence of assaulting a shop worker. I have been in shops in Worksop where I have seen shop workers who are absolutely fearful of what will happen next and I have seen food stolen before my eyes.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The Bill introduces stronger action on retail crime.

“They are the staff who kept their shops open and kept our local communities going through the pandemic, but in recent years they have had to face a truly disgraceful escalation in threats, abuse and violence. Our party has campaigned on this measure for very many years.

“Through the Bill, we will introduce a specific offence of assaulting a retail worker, sending the message loud and clear that these disgraceful crimes must not be tolerated, because everyone has a right to feel safe at work.”

She also spoke about cuts to neighbourhood policing by the previous government.

She said:

“In many areas of the country, neighbourhood policing has been cut by a third or nearly half. At the heart of the government’s plan is rebuilding neighbourhood policing.

“We plan to put 13,000 more neighbourhood police and police community support officers back on the beat over the course of this Parliament, kick-started with £200 million of funding in the next financial year."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Forces across England and Wales will now be given hugely increased resources to begin their recruitment to boost neighbourhood policing teams, helping to ensure that the government’s target for additional personnel is met by 2029.

"After years of declining officer presence on Britain’s streets, this investment represents a crucial first step in rebuilding neighbourhood policing. This doubled funding – increased from December’s provisional £100 million commitment – reflects the scale of the challenges that many forces face, as well as the government’s determination to address them.

"As part of a wider billion-pound boost to policing, this dedicated funding will strengthen local crime prevention and community safety. One of the government’s key pledges within its Plan for Change is that every neighbourhood will have a named, contactable officer, helping to restore the local knowledge and presence that effective neighbourhood policing demands."