Glasgow retailers are to hit back against thieves by demanding compensation as well as reporting them to the police.

The scheme will require thieves to pay between �60 and �150 to cover store costs in addition to any penalty imposed by the criminal courts.

The scheme is mainly aimed as curbing losses from shoplifting, which is a major problem for many stores in Glasgow.

The pilot study will include 35 shops in central Glasgow, Braehead and Paisley, and will involve well-known chains like HMV, Boots, W H Smith, Bhs, Safeway, Littlewoods, Matalan and Superdrug.

Prof Joshua Barmfield, of the centre for retail research, is helping to manage the scheme.

He said: "When somebody is apprehended for stealing in a shop as well as calling the police the information is also sent to ourselves.

"We take action on behalf of the retailer, initially by letter, asking the offender to pay a sum of between �60 to �150 to repay the store for the losses."

"This scheme has been extremely successful in England. for example in the West Midlands retail losses were cut by 14% and retail stealing was cut by 27%."

The scheme will run for six months to find out whether it curbs crime and to test the attitudes of the police, the Scottish criminal justice system and retail customers to the operation of civil law in tandem with the criminal law.

Any offender will still be reported to the police and could be compelled to pay up or face court action.

Civil recovery is now widely used by 29 major retailers in England and Wales.

In the English pilot, it cut instances of theft by 27% and store losses from crime by 14% over a six-month period.

Retailers anxious

Professor Bamfield added: "Retail stores have been anxious to roll out civil recovery in Scotland.

"We are running a pilot for six months to test the water. It will not be extended further until we are completely sure that the system works in Scotland."

Colin Culleton, national security manager of HMV, welcomed the Glasgow civil recovery pilot.

Security 'armoury'

He said: "HMV has found civil recovery to be a useful addition to its armoury against thieves.

"We're sure it will work well, and if it is as successful in Glasgow as in England, then civil recovery will be extended to other areas of Scotland within the year."

A report will be produced at the end of the pilot for the police and other interested parties.

Across the UK in 1998/99 a total of 820,000 shop thieves were apprehended by stores but only 65,000 were prosecuted.