Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Scottish police chief called on to protect shopworkers against rising assaults

Scottish police chief called on to protect shopworkers against rising assaults
iStock image
Getty Images

Urgent action is needed to protect shopworkers, Scottish Labour politician Daniel Johnson has warned in a letter addressed to the new Chief Constable of Police Scotland, highlighting that there have been almost 8,000 reported cases of shopworker abuse or assault since August 2021.

Johnson had introduced the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 in order to tackle the abuse that too many shopworkers face, but since the law was introduced it has been used a staggering 7,955 times.


Johnson’s letter was co-signed by the Scottish Retail Consortium, the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, the Federation of Independent Retailers, Usdaw, the Scottish Co-Op Party, and GMB Scotland.

Johnson said, “It is a scandal that so many shopworkers face violence and abuse at work.

“Workers are too often bearing the brunt of retail crime, and the astonishing number of crimes being reported exposes the scale of this crisis. The new legal protection offered by my bill was an important step forward, but it must be backed up with a comprehensive plan to prevent these crimes as well as prosecute them.

“Shopworkers must be safe at work and the SNP must ensure the new Chief Constable has the support and resources she needs to make that a reality.”

The Fed’s Scottish president Hussan Lal said, “The fact that shop crime is going up not down confirms that many more measures are needed. The Fed is campaigning for a £1,500 grant towards a security upgrade for small shopkeepers. They struggle to afford the tech which would protect them and help police enquiries.

“Above all, shopkeepers would like to see a policy commitment from the police to treat the shop crime epidemic as a priority.”

David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium said, “It’s utterly unacceptable whenever shopworkers face abuse, intimidation or violence whilst serving the community.

“Despite better legal protections and record spending by retailers on crime prevention, it’s clear more needs to be done to protect the skilled and passionate colleagues who help make our industry such a vibrant place to work; let alone to bear down on rising levels of anti-social behaviour and thefts.

“A greater level of prioritisation must be given to retail crime and responding to incidents, with the police and courts having the direction and resources they need to tackle this blight and ensure the perpetrators face the consequences.”

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
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