The UK's largest supermarket Tesco is rolling out body-worn cameras for its delivery drivers.

In an email sent to customers, the supermarket chain said the move is an “extra safety measure” for its drivers.

Reports suggest that the cameras are being rolled out to 5,000 delivery drivers, with the technology live across 100 stores by the end of the year.

The announcement comes after Usdaw surveyed over 300 retail home delivery drivers working mainly in the grocery sector earlier this year, including staff at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Asda, Morrisons and Iceland, finding that 77 per cent had been a victim of abuse, while a further 13 per cent were assaulted and 26 per cent had refused a delivery due to fear of their own personal safety.

The retailer addressed any potential privacy concerns by reassuring customers that the cameras are not recording all the time, instead they will only start to record if the driver feels unsafe.

“In the unlikely event that a driver feels the need to start recording, they'll do their best to let those around them know that they're turning their camera on,” it said. “Any footage that is taken will be stored securely and will only be used if an incident requires investigation.”

Tesco already equips store staff with body-worn cameras, as well as protective screens and door entry systems.

Tesco chief executive Ashwin Prasad said: “Nobody should have to face verbal or physical abuse at work, and the rollout of body-worn cameras will help us protect our drivers, deter would-be offenders and reduce the number of serious incidents.”

The move follows an announcement by Tesco last month that it was rolling out a safety app for its workforce that tracks their journeys to and from work.

Peoplesafe, which is being offered to the company’s 300,000-strong UK workforce, tracks employee routes via GPS, aiming to grant them 24/7 protection, both when travelling for work and in their private lives.

By setting their destination and mode of transport before setting off, the app automates safety checks on mobile phones, enabling them to raise an SOS alarm if necessary.

If they do not arrive at their destination on time or fail to respond to messages asking if they feel safe, Peoplesafe control room professionals will call them to check that they are okay and, if necessary, can alert the local police directly.

Once they arrive at their destination, the app automatically closes the tracking process.

Tesco, which already offers its employees a support programme for physical and mental wellbeing, said the rollout follows feedback from colleagues who said they sometimes feel unsafe when travelling to and from work.

Earlier this year, Tesco also unveiled a new multimillion-pound security hub in Daventry, Northamptonshire, as part of a major investment to tackle the growing problem of retail crime across its UK stores.

Tesco said at the time that the high-tech centre, which operates 24 hours a day throughout the year, will analyse thousands of hours of CCTV footage to target shoplifters and protect staff from violence.

Security operators have been assigned responsibility for monitoring specific groups of stores across the UK.

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