# Preston Retail & Business Security | Go Security > Retail makes up 11.1% of Preston's 6,140 businesses, well above the GB rate of 7.8%. Store guarding, reception security and patrols across the city. Source: https://gosecurity.uk/security-preston.html --- [Home](https://gosecurity.uk/) / [Locations](https://gosecurity.uk/locations.html) / Preston, Lancashire # Security Services in Preston Preston has more retailers than most places its size, with shops making up 11.1% of local firms, and a large health and care sector too. Our guarding is shaped around that particular business mix. [Book a Free Audit](https://gosecurity.uk/security-audit.html)Get a Quote ✓ SIA-Licensed Officers✓ 24/7 Control Room✓ 100% PAYE Workforce✓ BS 7858 Vetted Trusted Protection in Preston ## Shops, clinics and offices in Preston Of Preston's 6,140 registered businesses, 680 are retailers, spread across Fishergate Shopping Centre, the St George's Centre, St. John's Shopping Centre, Miller Arcade and Queens Retail Park. Health and care is another strong presence, alongside professional services offices and building firms. That blend calls for store detectives and uniformed retail officers, receptionist support at clinics, and alarm response for estates. Each officer we place reports through GPS book-on to our 24/7 control room. - Retail is 11.1% of firms, against 7.8% nationally - Health and care runs at 6.2% of local businesses - Six shopping centres and retail parks within 5km - Shoplifting is a named police priority under Op Prosper Get a Quote [View Preston on OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Preston%2C%20Lancashire) Preston Business Profile ## Preston's sectors and the cover behind them Professional services form Preston's biggest group with 840 firms, ahead of construction on 795 and retail on 680. The retail share is the notable one, sitting well above the British average, and those stores typically need uniformed officers and store detectives to reduce shoplifting and protect staff. Construction, with 16 mapped sites within 5km, leans on CCTV towers and night patrols. Health and care makes up 6.2% of businesses, compared with 4.4% nationally, which brings demand for reception security, lone-worker support and out-of-hours cover near the Royal Preston Hospital and elsewhere. Our network includes 25 security workers living within 10 miles of Preston, 20 of whom are SIA-licensed and can be booked, all BS 7858 screened and on PAYE. 20 SIA-licensed officers within 10 miles 6,140 Registered businesses in Preston 16 Active construction sites mapped within 5 km 123 Pubs, bars & nightclubs within 5 km ### Shopping centres, estates and hospitals - **Industrial & business parks:** Aqueduct Street Estate, Oxheys Industrial Estate, Anchorage Business Park, Charnley Fold Industrial Estate, Old Mill Industrial Estate and Red Scar Business Park - **Retail parks & shopping centres:** Miller Arcade, St George's Centre, Preston Guild Hall, St. John's Shopping Centre, Fishergate Shopping Centre and Queens Retail Park - **Hospitals:** Ramsay Fulwood Hall Hospital, Royal Preston Hospital and Greater Lancashire Hospital - **Rail stations:** Preston, Lostock Hall and Bamber Bridge ### Venues & Martyn's Law Charter Theatre, Preston Playhouse and nightclubs such as Switch and The Warehouse are among the named venues within 5km. Venues for 200 or more people will have Martyn's Law duties once the Act takes effect. [What Martyn's Law means for venues](https://gosecurity.uk/blog-martyns-law.html). Sources: Go Security officer network (counts rounded to the nearest 5); ONS UK Business Counts via Nomis; place data © [OpenStreetMap contributors](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). Updated October 2026. Security Requirements in Preston ## Preston's centre and its estates Preston's centre combines a dense shopping offer with the Guild Hall, four rail stations including Preston Riverside and Bamber Bridge, and 123 pubs, bars and clubs. Daytime footfall turns into an evening crowd around venues like Popworld and The ARC Cinema. Further out, Red Scar Business Park, Anchorage Business Park and Charnley Fold, Oxheys and Old Mill industrial estates hold warehouses and workshops that sit empty overnight and need patrols and alarm response. [Photo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Walburge,_Preston_(52048377477).jpg) by The National Churches Trust, CC BY 2.0 Services in Preston Preston businesses can draw on any of these services, from store detectives to CCTV towers, each run through our control room. [Security guarding](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#guards) · [Mobile patrols](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#mobile) · [Key holding](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#keyholding) · [Alarm response](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#alarm) · [Event security](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#event) · [K9 security](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#canine) · [CCTV towers](https://gosecurity.uk/cctv.html#tower) · [CCTV monitoring](https://gosecurity.uk/cctv.html#monitoring) · [POD intruder alarms](https://gosecurity.uk/cctv.html#pod) Crime & Security Data ## Crime near central Preston Police.uk shows 9,422 crimes within a mile of central Preston between September 2025 and August 2026. Violence and sexual offences led with 3,098, roughly a third, followed by anti-social behaviour on 2,277. Shoplifting reached 751, with criminal damage and arson at 636 and public order at 610. Total crime eased 3% in the latest quarter compared with a year before, but shoplifting went the other way, up 28%. For a city with this many retailers, that is the trend to watch. 9,422 Recorded crimes in 12 months 3,098 Violence & sexual offences 2,277 Anti-social behaviour 751 Shoplifting 636 Criminal damage & arson 610 Public order Source: [Police.uk](https://www.police.uk) open data, street-level crime within ~1 mile, September 2025 to August 2026. Locations are approximate. Local Policing ## City Centre team and Op Prosper Lancashire Constabulary's City Centre team is running Op Prosper, a clear, hold and build approach targeting anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. City Centre - Preston Lancashire Constabulary **Current neighbourhood priorities:** - Op Prosper - Clear, Hold Build, Anti-social Behaviour, Shoplifting [View this team on Police.uk →](https://www.lancashire.police.uk/area/your-area/) Source: Police.uk neighbourhoods, the policing team whose area covers Preston. Areas We Cover Near Preston ## Around Preston We also cover Penwortham, a mile from Preston, along with Leyland at 5 miles and Longridge at 6. [Penwortham](https://gosecurity.uk/security-penwortham.html) [Leyland](https://gosecurity.uk/security-leyland.html) [Longridge](https://gosecurity.uk/security-longridge.html) [Kirkham](https://gosecurity.uk/security-kirkham.html) [Chorley](https://gosecurity.uk/security-chorley.html) [Medlar-with-Wesham](https://gosecurity.uk/security-medlar-with-wesham.html) [Blackburn](https://gosecurity.uk/security-blackburn.html) [Garstang](https://gosecurity.uk/security-garstang.html) [Darwen](https://gosecurity.uk/security-darwen.html) [Adlington](https://gosecurity.uk/security-adlington.html) [Lytham St Annes](https://gosecurity.uk/security-lytham-st-annes.html) [Blackrod](https://gosecurity.uk/security-blackrod.html) Postcodes We Cover in Preston ### Preston postcode coverage The 4 postcode districts nearest central Preston, covering parts of Preston, South Ribble and Chorley. PR1PR2PR5PR25 Nearest first. Source: ONS postcode data via postcodes.io. Need another postcode? [Check coverage](https://gosecurity.uk/coverage.html). Preston Security FAQs ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you provide store detectives in Preston? Yes. Retail accounts for 11.1% of Preston businesses, and shoplifting rose 28% in the latest quarter. We supply store detectives and uniformed retail officers who work with staff, record incidents and support police evidence gathering. ### Do you secure clinics and care homes? Health and care is 6.2% of Preston's businesses, above the 4.4% British figure. We staff receptions, support lone workers and provide out-of-hours cover, with every shift logged through our control room. ### How does your work fit with Op Prosper? Op Prosper is Lancashire Constabulary's city-centre operation against anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. Our uniformed guards add a visible presence in stores and shopping centres, and our reports can be shared with police. ### Are your officers local to Preston? Twenty-five security workers in our network live within 10 miles of the city, and 20 hold a current SIA licence and accept bookings. All have passed BS 7858 vetting and are employed through PAYE. ### Can you look after industrial estates? We can. Red Scar Business Park, Anchorage Business Park and Oxheys Industrial Estate are among six named sites within 5km. Mobile patrols, key holding and alarm response are recorded with GPS for each visit. Free, no-obligation quote ## Get a security quote in Preston Tell us about your site and what you need. We'll price it and come back to you, normally within one working day. - SIA-licensed, BS 7858 vetted officers on PAYE - 24/7 control room for urgent cover - Prefer to talk? Call [0800 471 4792](tel:+448004714792), day or night ## Protect your Preston business Speak to our team on 0800 471 4792 for a quote, or claim a free security audit worth £250 for your Preston premises. [Book a Free Audit](https://gosecurity.uk/security-audit.html)Get a Quote --- Go Security Ltd, Unit 2K1, Hastingwood Business Park, Wood Lane, Birmingham B24 9QR. Tel 0800 471 4792 (24/7 control room). Email control@gosecurity.uk. Registered in England & Wales no. 11722692. ICO registration ZB604756.