Thugs who attack shop workers 'must face fines up to £10,000' as cases soar
Thugs who attack shopworkers and delivery drivers must face tougher sentences, Labour has demanded.
The party will launch a bid to strengthen proposed new legislation that is making its way through the Commons. Shadow Policing Minister Alex Norris wants to make assaulting a retail worker a specific criminal offence carrying a sentence of 12 months behind bars or a fine of up to £10,000.
It comes amid growing fears about the safety of retail workers as the country faces a shoplifting epidemic with hundreds of attacks reported each day. The British Retail Consortium has estimated there were 850 assaults on shop staff a day in 2021-22.
In the year to September the number of shoplifting cases in England and Wales rocketed to 402,482 - up by nearly 100,000 and more than 32%. Mr Norris has tabled an amendment to the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill that would also make it an aggravating factor if violence or abuse happened when a person is challenged about their age. He said: "Britain's high streets are facing soaring rates of reported shoplifting and abuse of shop workers, but they are being let down by a government that cannot keep the streets safe.
"In the last year alone, shoplifting has gone up by a staggering 32% with shop workers on the front line as criminals run rife in our town centres. Shop workers deserve dignity and respect. While the Tories take a back seat, Labour will introduce a new offence of abuse against shop workers so we can put an end to violence, threats and abuse at work.”
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The call has been backed by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW). General secretary Paddy Lillis said: "Our latest survey results show that two-thirds of retail workers suffered abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. Theft from shops and armed robbery were triggers for 60% of these incidents."
He accused the Government of repeatedly failing to act, adding: "We very much welcome that Labour is plugging the gap by seeking to amend the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill to strengthen the law to protect shop workers from violence, threats and abuse.
“A protection of shop workers law, which already exists in Scotland, would be a great start to tackling abuse of retail staff." The Mirror is demanding urgent action to tackle the epidemic of shoplifting that is sweeping Britain's high streets.
Joe Fortune, general secretary of the Co-operative Party, which has campaigned for a new law protecting shop workers, said: "The horrifying increase in statistics and individual experiences demonstrates the need for Government action. Those who enforce laws set in Westminster need the protection from Government."
In a letter to Home Secretary James Cleverly, the Co-operative Party - which has an electoral pact with Labour - and USDAW demanded action to tackle the escalating crisis. They wrote: “Throughout the country criminals have been given the freedom to loot, with organised crime gangs often stealing to order and persistently repeating these offences in the same shops. What’s more, these criminal acts often act as flashpoints for anti-social behaviour against retail staff who are subject to appalling levels of violence, threats and abuse as they go about their jobs.”
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