Bobbies take a cup pa to catch tea leaves.

BOBBIES are being offered free tea breaks in local shops in a bid to forge better links with communities.

The pilot scheme in the South Wales Police area sees staff at Co-op stores brewing up for officers, who can then mingle with shoppers and workers.

The force hopes the project will reassure the public as well as help officers gather information on crime and anti-social behaviour issues.

Called It's a Fair Co-op of Tea Guv, the scheme was launched yesterday as a new study by the retail group revealed a 9% rise in violence against its shop staff between January 2003 and January 2004. The increase, taking the total number of incidents to 763, came despite an investment of nearly pounds 15m in crime prevention measures, the Co-op said.

Weapons were used in 74% of incidents.

Other findings include a 79% rise in verbal abuse of shop staff, from 1,695incidents to 3,028. Co -operative Group chief executive Martin Beaumont said: ``The continuing rise in retail crime, especially in violent assaults on staff, is very worrying and totally unacceptable.

``At the Co-op we are actively pursuing community partnerships as one way of tackling this increasing problem and we want government to give it the priority it deserves.''

``Our partnership with South Wales Police is the first of its kind in the UK. It is designed to foster and strengthen relationships between local business, the community and the police. And in the process we hope it will be a deterrent to local criminals.''