Petty crime 'is no big deal in our land of moral bankruptcy'

Nearly two out of five men and women admit to an offence such as fare dodging or shoplifting in the past five years.

More than half do not see the fear of getting caught as a deterrent. And 57 per cent would not let worry about losing their job get in the way of them committing a crime.

The study commissioned by G4S Security Services (UK) into moral attitudes to crime highlights a sharp divide between the generations.

Of those aged 16-24, one in seven - 14 per cent - think it is ethically acceptable to dodge a fare on public transport, more than double the proportion of any other age group.

One in ten of the same age group think it is acceptable to enter a music or sports event without paying, compared with just 1 per cent of those aged over 55.

Douglas Greenwell, sales and marketing director of G4S, said: "Our findings reveal much about our attitude to crime.

"So many people see large organisations as a morally acceptable target nowadays that they don't appear to have any feelings of guilt about committing crimes against those businesses.

"This is why firms, from retailers to train operating companies, have to prodencetect their revenue by taking the issue of security seriously."

According to G4S, which surveyed 1,002 16 to 64-year-olds, Britons admit to committing a range of crimes in the last five years.

It calculates that more than 700,000 have used company data for personal gain and nearly one in three (29 per cent) have stolen stationery from work for personal use, which equates to 7.61million.

The research provides eviof a high level of criminal activity against retailers, with one in 11 of those aged 16 to 24 admitting to "grazing", consuming items while walking around a supermarket and not paying for them.

On a regional level, London had the highest percentage of those who thought dodging fares was acceptable, at 11 per cent. This was closely followed by the South East/East Anglia with 9 per cent.

Almost one in three adults (31 per cent) said a sense of guilt would not prevent them from committing a crime.

Instead of relying on their conscience to determine whether they should engage in a criminal act, they make a calculated risk-reward analysis.

Visible security deterrents such as security officers or CCTV cameras are among the most effective solutions to deter crime.

Cameras would stop 40 per cent from committing a crime, and 38 per cent would be deterred by the fear of public humiliation, such as being frogmarched across a store by a security officer.

Yet only 28 per cent would be discouraged by concern over being ostracised by their friends and peers.