Crime against small businesses dropped by 6 per cent in the last year according to annual survey conducted by the Small Firms Association (SFA). However, the survey also found that the perception in the sector was that crime was on the increase. Conducted by the SFA in conjunction with the security firm Crime Management Group, the survey found that 35 per cent of small business had been affected by crime in the past two years, and that the average cost per incident was £1,600.

Whereas last year only 5 per cent of respondents said they had been the victims of repeat incidents, this year 28 per cent of respondents said this had been the case.