Doug Weller reads 7pm ABC News Bulletin - 1995

Doug Weller was a senior journalist for the ABC working in Brisbane, Washington, Canberra and Melbourne. His distinguished career also included news reading and presenting the morning current affairs program 1st Edition. Doug is now Director of Corporate Media Services, a company specialising in Media Training, Media Spokesperson Training, Media Crisis Management Training, Presentation Skills and Public Speaking Training and providing strategic media advice in the Corporate and Government sector in Australia and the South Pacific. For more information please go to www.corporatemediaservices.com.au

TRANSCRIPT

Tonight. Christmas crime Shop stealing takes the joy from retailers

Face to face Britain and the IRA talk peace.

And an air borne invasion of the Chinese Consulate.

Good evening, Doug Weller sitting in for Sue MacIntosh with ABC news.

There's wide-spread concern tonight about the huge amount of goods being stolen
in the run-up to Christmas.

As Australia enters its peak shopping season retailers say they're losing tens of millions of dollars through shop stealing.

The problem is made worse by an increase in shop stealing gangs which are targeting
shopping centres across the natio.

The christmas shopping season is in full swing.

Christmas crowds, Christmas sales but also Christmas Crime.

Bob Frayne Retail Traders' Association 'It is very widespread across the community we believe its a community problem

And it's costing Australia's retailers a fortune

in new south wales victoria and queensland it's around one million
dollars a day for each site and about half a million dollars a day in the other states and territories

and shoplifting is now becoming more sophisticated

The Retail Traders Association says shoplifting gangs are on the increase and they are
made up of adults and children and they're costing the industry millions

Could be a distraction of the shopkeeper, others are stealing goods or it could be a very violent and agressive customer
who is able to put it over the shopkeeper while others steal.

The association says improved electronic surveillance is helping battle
shop stealing, much still goes undetected.

There's been another historic step towards peace in Northern Ireland.

The IRA's political wing Siin Fein has held formal talks with the British government

The advance comes just one hundred days after the IRA declared its cease-fire

This report from the ABC's Neil Ross

Leaving the Falls Road, Sinn Fein's delegation.

Three of the five are former IRA prisoners hardliners chosen to reassure Republicans they are not being sold out.