MANY firms don't bother to report crimes to the police even though the problem costs British industry billions of pounds a year, according to a report.

A study by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) showed that up to two out of five employers believed that nothing would be achieved by reporting a crime.

The survey of 19,000 companies suggested that a fifth of all crimes in the UK are committed against businesses.

The federation called for measures against business crime to be stepped up, including making sure that shoplifters actually paid any fines against them.

FSB Wessex chairman, Ken Moon, said: "Crime against businesses makes up at least 20 per cent of all crimes but the authorities do not put the same priority on them as they do on domestic crime. Businesses are the victims of the forgotten fifth of crime in the UK.

"Around 57 per cent of small businesses have been the victims of at least one crime in the past year.

"Owners and staff are left traumatised and businesses can close, costing jobs, if repeated crimes are not tackled and stopped.

"The challenge now for the Home Office and the police is to put this huge number of crimes on their priority list and end the current fragmented approach."

l Wessex FSB is hosting a Crime Conference at Kingston Maurward, Dorchester, on April 13, from 9am to 1pm. Speakers will include West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin and Dorset Deputy Chief Constable Christopher Lee. For more details call 01425 280080.