A UNION has said the death of a shop assistant two weeks after a robbery highlights a growing problem of violence in the retail sector.

Carol Bates, a 56-year-old widow, of Seaham, County Durham, suffered heart failure and died at home at the weekend.

She had been off sick since she had a knife held to her throat during the November 30 raid on Carrick's General Dealers, Seaham, where she had worked for 35 years.

Although she was not physically harmed, police and colleagues believe the shock of the ordeal contributed to her declining health.

Usdaw, the shopworkers' union, said violence, threats of violence and abuse was on the increase in stores throughout the country - and not only in corner shops in run-down areas.

Last year, the union launched a campaign, Freedom From Fear, to highlight the problem and find ways to tackle it.

A spokesman said Mrs Bates' death "was absolutely tragic, but it highlights the point we are trying to make".

Last year, 16,200 shopworkers were attacked, 48,600 threatened and 70,000 suffered verbal abuse.

"It is equal to one incident of an attack or verbal abuse for every minute of the working day in Britain.''

The spokesman said incidents could range from people being shot or stabbed by robbers to customers being rude to staff.

"It is a huge problem and we don't think we are overstating it," said the spokesman.

The union is campaigning for employers to provide training in dealing with incidents and install security measures and for retail crime to be a key performance indicator for police forces.

A man is being held in custody charged with robbery following the raid at Carrick's.