Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Exclusive: Northern Ireland retailer furious over being excluded from new shopworker assault law

Exclusive: Northern Ireland retailer furious over being excluded from new shopworker assault law
Retailer Eugene Diamond from Northern Ireland

As prime minister Rishi Sunak announced his crackdown on retail crime plan today (10), some retailers in Northern Ireland are furious that the new law on shop worker assault include only England and Wales.

Sunak today (10) announced plans for tougher punishments for serial or abusive shoplifters in England and Wales, including being forced to wear a tag to ensure they do not revisit the scene of their crime, under a new standalone criminal offence of assaulting a retail worker.


The new law, under which perpetrators could be sent to prison for up to six months and receive unlimited fines, will be introduced via an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that is working its way through parliament. The change could happen as early as this summer.

The plan however does not include Northern Ireland (already available in Scotland), something which has irked retailer Eugene Diamond, owner of Diamonds store on Broughshane Street in Ballymena.

Calling the exclusion of Northern Ireland "totally ridiculous", Diamond told Asian Trader, "We should have this law introduced immediately. I have personally been the victim of crime on many occasions and I always say a lot of it comes from the lenient laws."

Diamond has been running the Diamonds store for the last 44 years.

In February last year, the retailer was roughed by a robber who entered this decades-old store demanded cash. He refused and pressed the store’s panic alarm, so the person fled. Due to the upheaval, the store was closed for four hours that morning while Diamond was left completely shaken.

GKIsZRFW8AExM F

The person was arrested the next day but it all resulted in nothing as he was let go by the court with the charge withdrawn with a caution.

Diamond told Asian Trader at the time, “The same man arrested was in court in December last year too. I felt that it was badly handled. I think we need to see that people like this go to jail or face some kind of repercussion. But if the court is lenient like this, people end up becoming repeat offenders and we have to pay the price."

Diamond's demands are resonated by a leading trade body as well which is calling for the new changes to be extended to Northern Ireland as well, saying "our shop staff deserve no less".

Retail NI Chief Executives Glyn Roberts said, “This is a welcome announcement by the Prime Minister given the huge increase in the physical and verbal abuse of shop workers in England and Wales”.

“Northern Ireland is now the only part of the UK not to have such laws to deter criminals and to protect shop staff.

‘In two weeks’, time Retail NI will be launching a comprehensive report on the experiences of our members relating to business crime. It will outline what the Department of Justice and PSNI need to do to tackle it.

"Top of our list is for this law to include Northern Ireland. Our shop staff deserve no less.”

Read further here.

More for you

Rising inflation to 'subdue household spending' this Christmas

Rising inflation to 'subdue household spending' this Christmas

Rising inflation may subdue household spending this Christmas according to the latest figures from Asda’s Income Tracker.

The tracker, which measures household disposable income, fell for only the second time this year, decreasing by £1.98 in October, leaving the average UK household with £247 per week. The 2.3 per cent rise in inflation was primarily driven by higher energy prices, reflecting the rise in the Ofgem price cap that took place at the start of the month and caused housing, water, electricity, and gas bills to increase.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brits called on to stand with retail staff in fight against crime, abuse

iStock image

Brits called on to stand with retail staff in fight against crime, abuse

As the busy shopping period begins with Black Friday and Christmas around the corner, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and its retail members are calling on the public to stand together against violence and abuse towards retail workers this Christmas.

From those working in stores, to those delivering goods and those working in customer service centres, everyone deserves a safe Christmas. Christmas is an incredibly complex and challenging time of year for the retail industry, with stores and delivery services working overtime to deliver for customers. Colleagues are extra busy keeping shelves stocked and ensuring products are delivered on time, yet those working in retail are often subject to more violence and abuse during this period.

Keep ReadingShow less
High Barnet Post Office

High Barnet Post Office

Photo via LDRS

Campaign for all post office services to be retained

Politicians and councillors are campaigning for post office services to be retained as Post Office Ltd announced the potential closure of its 115 branches to make it more financially sustainable.

The state-owned company says these directly owned branches currently employ about 1,000 workers and are making a loss.

Keep ReadingShow less
Krakow Grocery

Krakow Grocery, Parkhills Road, Fishpool

Photo via LDRS

Trading standards claim ‘dual price’ shop offered cheaper vapes if customers paid in cash

Police and trading standards are demanding tough conditions be placed on a corner shop if it is to regain an alcohol licence.

Ahead of a licensing hearing next week the owners of Krakow Grocery, Parkhills Road, Fishpool, Bury have submitted evidence in support of an application to sell booze from 9am-11pm, seven days a week.

Keep ReadingShow less
Calls raised for industry-wide debate on frozen food temperatures

iStock image

Calls raised for industry-wide debate on frozen food temperatures

Karen McQuade, the recently elected president of the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), has called for its members to engage in the debate about raising the standard temperature for frozen food.

Addressing the Federation’s annual lunch earlier this week, McQuade said that there is a compelling environmental case for raising the standard – which has been set at -18 degrees since the frozen food industry was born 100 years ago.

Keep ReadingShow less