Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

NI retailers body demands to be included in new shopworker assault law

NI retailers body demands to be included in new shopworker assault law
iStock image

A leading Northern Ireland retailers body is backing the calls to extend legal protection for shop workers from assault in Northern Ireland as well.

Under tough new action to crack down on retail crime announced on April 10, assaulting a retail worker in England and Wales will be made a standalone criminal offence.


The plan however does not include Northern Ireland. Scotland has already introduced its Protection of Shop Workers Act in 2021.

Under new laws, perpetrators could be sent to prison for up to six months, receive an unlimited fine and be banned from going back to the shop where they committed their crimes, with Criminal Behaviour Orders barring them visiting specific premises.

Calling on for protection for Northern Ireland shop workers as well, Neil Johnston, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, has called on the Justice Minister, Naomi Long MLA, to act decisively to ensure shop workers in Northern Ireland too get the same legal protection from assault as their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales.

Johnston said, "We very much welcome the announcement that Westminster is to legislate to introduce a specific standalone offence for a crime of violence against a shopworker. The legislation announced however only covers England and Wales. Scotland has already legislated so there is a real danger that retail workers in Northern Ireland get left behind.

"We hope that the Minister will rapidly announce that she will introduce similar legislation as a matter of urgency or consider asking for Northern Ireland to be incorporated into the Westminster measure by means of a Legislative Consent Motion.

"NIRC’s priority is that workers get better legal protections, and that crime is tackled head on. The 2024 BRC Retail Crime Survey showed a staggering increase in violence and abuse across the UK, despite record spending by retailers’ on crime prevention. Incidents of violence and abuse stood at over 1,300 incidents a day in 2022-23, up from 867 the previous year. This includes 113 violent incidents a day.

"While we continue to work closely with the PSNI, and greatly appreciate the work they do, more must be done to give better legal protection to the skilled and passionate colleagues who help make retail such a vibrant place to work.

Johnston added that customer theft, across the UK, has doubled to 16.7 million incidents a year, up from 8 million – at a highest ever cost of £1.8 billion, the first time it has risen above the £1 billion mark. Shoplifting is often a trigger for abuse or violence. Taken together with crime prevention, the cost of retail crime now stands at £3.3 billion. With tight margins across the industry, this is money that is not available to invest in lower prices or make improvements to stores. In the end everyone suffers the cost of crime.

NIRC will strongly back any measure the Executive or the Assembly promote to make the protection of retail workers a greater priority, Johnston added.

More for you

vape and cigarette
Photo: iStock

One in five ex-smokers in England now vape, study finds


Summary
1. One in five people who have successfully quit smoking in England currently vape, with an estimated 2.2 million individuals using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool.
2. The increase in vaping among ex-smokers is largely driven by the use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts, with a rise in vaping uptake among people who had previously quit smoking for many years before taking up vaping.
3. While vaping may be a less harmful option compared to smoking, there are concerns about the potential long-term implications of vaping on relapse risk and nicotine addiction. Further research is needed to assess the impact of vaping on smoking cessation outcomes.


Keep ReadingShow less
Bira engages with Treasury on Budget fallout, business rate reform
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Bira engages with Treasury on Budget fallout, business rate reform

Independent retailers association Bira has held a meeting with members of the Treasury team to discuss concerns following its robust response to the Government’s recent Budget announcement.

The Budget, labelled by Bira as "devastating" for independent retailers, was met with widespread indignation from Bira members.

Keep ReadingShow less
East of England Co-op achieves 70 per cent productivity boost with Electronic Shelf Labels

East of England Co-op achieves 70 per cent productivity boost with Electronic Shelf Labels

East of England Co-op said it has improved labour productivity whilst improving customer service delivery in-store with an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) solution from Pricer, the leading in-store automation and communication solutions provider.

Established in 1861, East of England Co-op is now the largest independent retailer operating in the East of England. In addition to the 120 food stores it operates in the region, the regional cooperative also offers customers specialist services, such as funerals, security, travel agents and petrol filling stations across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

Keep ReadingShow less
PayPoint

PayPoint delivers strong half-year results; retail network crosses 30,000 sites

PayPoint Plc has on Thursday has announced a robust financial performance for the half year ending 30 September, making continued progress towards achieving an underlying EBITDA of £100 million by the end of FY26.

The company’s UK retail network increased to 30,151 sites during the period, from 29,149 at the end of the previous fiscal year. 70 per cent of these are independent retailers, and the rest in multiple retail groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
Johnson & Johnson office

Johnson & Johnson office in Irvine, California

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

Johnson & Johnson risks UK lawsuit over talc cancer claim

UK claimants announced Wednesday legal action against US pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson, alleging that women diagnosed with cancers were exposed to asbestos in the company's talcum powder.

J&J risks UK court action for the first time over the allegations, having faced a series of similar lawsuits in North America.

Keep ReadingShow less