Labour candidate for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe Matthew Dorrance has set out his party's ambitious plan to breathe life into Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe high streets.

The plan includes interventions to support the high street by opening hundreds of banking hubs across the UK and stamping out late payments to ensure retailers and small businesses get paid on time.

Action will also be taken to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour by putting more bobbies on the beat and boosting patrols with a Community Policing Guarantee that cracks down on shoplifters and keeps high streets and the public safe.

Figures from the Association of Convenience Stores, the trade body representing convenience stores, said there were 5.6 million incidents of shop theft in 2023/24, up from 1.1 million in 2022/23. It also reported that there were around 76,000 cases of violence in shops in 2023/24, compared to 41,000 in the previous year's report.

Matthew Dorrance said: "The UK Labour Party has an ambitious plan to spark the decade of national renewal that our high streets and communities deserve, backed up by the full force of government.

"We have so many brilliant shops and businesses on high streets throughout Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, working hard to support their local economy and community.

"Labour's plans would give them the support they need, including by guaranteeing access to face-to-face, over-the-counter banking services and by tackling late payments.

"In addition, we would ensure our high streets are safe, with more visible front-line policing in our neighbourhoods and by implementing measures to tackle shoplifting.

"Over the last year, reported cases of shoplifting have shot up, with nearly one in five shopworkers having reported suffering a violent attack at work, all under the UK Conservative Government's watch.

"This is just unacceptable. Labour has the plan to put things right and breathe life into high streets here in Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe".