Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Assaulting shopworkers to be made standalone offence

Attacks on shop workers
Photo: iStock
Getty Images/iStockphoto

Assaulting a shop worker will be made a separate criminal offence in England and Wales as part of a government response to a wave of retail.

The measures announced today (10) by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak include assaulting a retail worker to be made a standalone criminal offence, serial offenders to be required to be wear electronic tags to monitor their activities along with a pilot of new community sentencing measures to tackle prolific shop theft offenders.


An investment of £55m over the next four years in facial recognition technology to help identify and catch offenders has also been announced.

Ministers had previously ruled out legislating to create a new offence, saying in response to a parliamentary petition in October they did not think it was “required or will be most effective”.

Rishi Sunak, however, announced today (10) that his government would be amending its Criminal Justice Bill to bring in the new offence.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, “I am sending a message to those criminals - whether they are serious organised criminal gangs, repeat offenders or opportunistic thieves – who think they can get away with stealing from these local businesses or abusing shopworkers, enough is enough.

“Our local shops are the lifeblood of our communities, and they must be free to trade without the threat of crime or abuse.”

Figures from the 2024 ACS Crime Report show that retailers have recorded over 600 incidents of theft an hour over the last year, along with around 76,000 incidents of violence in local shops.

Retailers are doing what they can to fight back by investing in crime prevention and detection measures, with £339m spent over the last year in areas like CCTV, security staff, intruder alarms and internal communication systems. Taken together, the cost of crime and the cost of investing in fighting crime results in a 10p ‘crime tax’ on every transaction that takes place in every store across the UK.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said, “There is quite simply no excuse for threatening behaviour or stealing – which can run other people’s livelihoods into the ground, while being traumatic for workers. To turn a blind eye to retail crime shakes the foundations of law and order which protect our society and that is unacceptable. We are enhancing our plan and doubling down on the zero-tolerance approach needed to fight back.

“The number of offenders being charged for these crimes is increasing and while I want to see more people face consequences for their actions, our plan is designed to help put a stop to these crimes happening in the first place.”

Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the announcement of a series of measures aimed at supporting retailers and their colleagues in the battle against violent crime and repeat offending.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We strongly welcome this package of measures which sends a clear message to local shops that retail crime will be taken seriously by the police and the wider justice system. Our members face theft, violence and abuse on a daily basis, with over five million incidents of theft recorded over the last year alone along with over 76,000 incidents of violence. Nobody should have to come to work and face what retailers and their colleagues have faced over the last year.

“The creation of a standalone offence for assaulting a shopworker is an important step forward, but it must be backed by a joined-up approach from local forces, Police and Crime Commissioners and central Government to ensure that when a crime is reported by a retailer, it is followed up properly and those responsible are taken out of the cycle of reoffending.”

The move to create a separate offence follows a long-running campaign from major retailers and Conservative backbencher Matt Vickers amid rising violence against retail workers.

Over the past six months, more than 47,000 people have signed a petition calling for the creation of a separate offence of assaulting a retail worker.

More for you

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sybren Attema, and Betty Eekchaut

Presidents Sybren Attema, FrieslandCampina, and Betty Eekchaut, Milcobel

Yazoo parent FrieslandCampina announces merger with Belgian rival Milcobel

Dutch dairy collective FrieslandCampina has agreed to merge with smaller Belgian rival Milcobel, creating a leading dairy cooperative.

FrieslandCampina, whose brands include Yazoo and Chocomel, said the merger will provide the foundation for a future-oriented organisation that has dairy front and centre for member dairy farmers, employees, consumers, and customers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail Shoplifting. Man Stealing In Supermarket
Photo: iStock

Home Office reaffirms commitment to abolish £200 shoplifting threshold

The UK government has pledged stronger measures to combat anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, which it acknowledges as serious crimes that disrupt communities and harm businesses.

Addressing a House of Lords debate on Monday, Home Office minister Lord Hanson detailed plans to abolish the controversial £200 shoplifting threshold and to introduce a new offence for assaults on retail workers.

Keep ReadingShow less
post office store
Photo: Post Office Ltd

Post Office launches wellbeing hub to support postmasters amid rising retail crime

In response to the mounting pressures faced by postmasters across the UK, the Post Office has unveiled a centralised wellbeing platform aimed at simplifying access to support resources.

Post Office said the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents, documented in the 2024 ACS Crime Report, has only intensified the demand for comprehensive support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira
iStock

Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira

Independent retailers have weathered one of their most challenging years in 2024, with multiple headwinds affecting the sector, according to the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira).

With pressures mounting throughout the year, independent retailers have faced an increasingly difficult trading environment marked by changing consumer behaviour and economic uncertainties.

Keep ReadingShow less