A call has been made to increase security measures for Ashby shops by becoming a Business Improvement District.

The chair of the Ashby Town Traders, Mandy McIntosh, is pushing for the move as it would bring an injection of money which could be spent on resources.

But she is also concerned at an increase in the amount of shoplifting - sometimes accompanied by violence - in the town.

Mandy says the problem compounds the Covid-19 restrictions that are already in place.

And while she recognises that the police are there to prosecute any wrong-doers, it is sometimes not enough.

The town has continued to promote itself with the recent Ashby Fabulous earlier this month - and Fiver Fest which is currently being held in the town.

A Business Improvement District is a defined area within which businesses are required to pay an additional tax - or levy - in order to fund projects within the district's boundaries.

Mandy would like to see the idea taken further.

She told Ashby Nub News: 'If you become a Business Improvement District, the Government is giving money to recognised bodies.

"We don't really have a recognised body of businesses in the town, if did, we could apply for grants and other things with more money to spend on the town.

'We are working on this as the town centre traders, if I'm honest I'd like that title to be replaced by a business improvement district, things are moving on and we can't rely on volunteers.

"In this day and age we should be paying people and creating jobs, I think that's most important.

"This is something the government has set up, it allows you to have that money to pay for whatever you want, whether it's for security, or whatever, the council provide certain things, but obviously the jam only go so far."

Mandy admits that security is one issue that needs to be addressed.

She added: "I think maybe the time has come that Ashby needs to look at ways of funding people who would be looking for the welfare of its visitors, daytime and evening time.

"Maybe that's going forward with the Business Improvement District, which will give us the money to pay for our own - not security staff exactly, but someone to support retailers when they have a shoplifting incident.

"We've had a couple recently, but the shoplifters have turned violent, and you can't have retailers being intimidated like that.

"Shoplifting takes away your easiness with your customers, you're more edgy with them.

"That's what it rubs you off more from the items they steal from you.

But equally we cannot be putting the price up for our regular, loved, usual customers which it does, at the end of the day things have to be paid for. If things are stolen it is sad.

"We have to be firm on this. When violence was threatened, we had police response for both incidents, and they were brilliant, it was a substantial amount that was taken.

"The retailer did pursue them, and delayed them sufficiently, the police were then able to come.

"But if it's goods, it's not a high priority, it's when there is violence that the police will be involved.

"I know there's a high police presence and we appreciate that.

"But maybe we need to look at the resources of other towns, like Loughborough or Hinckley, they have money to spend, when I heard what they got I though: 'We don't have that in Ashby'.

"Loughborough for example has an app, whereby they can watch where people are and can tell customers how crowded certain places are.

"Hinckley has people to support the retailers, I'm not saying our town centre manager didn't do the best he can or could. But he's only got 15 hours a week.

"Hinckley has a lot of events, they've done brilliantly. But you can only do so much if you've got a business to run.

"As businesses, if we so we could do with something like extra street cleaning, I'm not saying we haven't got a good team who do it, but people want a little bit more and more publicity to get visitors coming to the town to make it more prosperous.

"We need to keep things improving, I also think this is the way forwards, but people are so weighed down with the day-to-day running of their businesses.

"It will be a challenge for them even to look above the parapet at the moment. We are looking into it, and seeing what money we could get through it, but it's the hurdle to get over and get things started."