MORE than four out of 10 Britons want to ban garments that hide the face from shopping centres, says a survey.

Almost a third of people also want `hoodies' banned from shopping areas.

The online poll of 1,000 people for G4S Security Services showed shoppers were more worried by anti-social behaviour than by the threat of terrorism.

But the poll was conducted before a jury at the Old Bailey convicted five Muslim extremists of plotting to use a stash of 1,300lb of fertiliser to blow up targets including Bluewater shopping centre.

The survey showed 57% of over-16s said their biggest fear while shopping was anti-social behaviour, followed by 52% who feared violent attack.

Less than a quarter (23%) feared a terrorist attack while shopping.

Just under half (47%) said pickpockets were their main concern, followed by three out of 10 who named losing a child in a shop or shopping centre.

Asked what steps could be taken to make customers feel more safe and secure while shopping, exactly half said there should be a ban on drinking alcohol in and around the premises.

Of those polled, 41% called for a ban on clothes that obscured the face.

Other measures to make people feel safer while shopping would be banning roller skates and skateboards (46%), ball games (37%) and religious iconography (19%), , groups of single sex youths (16%) and offensive T-shirts (13%).

G4S Security Services spokesman Douglas Greenwell said: "This research shows that the threat of verbal abuse and other forms of anti-social behaviour is of greatest concern to people out shopping.

"Retailers, the police and local councils need to work closely to limit these `petty crimes' which continue to be a major nuisance to millions of people.

"If they don't then consumers will vote with their feet and shop elsewhere."

Mr Greenwell added: "Retailers are always trying to enhance the shopping experience for customers by making them feel safe and secure in and around the retail outlet.

"While some people would like to see fairly draconian steps taken to secure the shopping environment, in our experience the presence of uniformed security officers results in a significant reduction in anti-social behaviour."

Bluewater, in Kent, was one of the first to ban hooded tops and baseball caps in 2005.