Improved intelligence could halt rising tide of violence against supermarket staff: Greg Wright

Lidl GB is to be applauded for its commitment to worker safety, but the fact these cameras are now considered essential speaks volumes about how society has changed.

From the end of the month, stores across Lidl’s network will start to receive the cameras following an investment of more than £2m, with the rollout set to be completed by the spring.

Ryan McDonnell, the chief executive at Lidl GB, said: “As a business with over 960 stores across the country, safety and security has always been an absolute priority for us. While our stores are typically safe environments, retail crime is something that is impacting the whole industry.”

Lidl is a founding member of Project Pegasus, a business and policing partnership that aims to combine law enforcement powers with industry knowledge to target serious and organised retail crime, committing £60,000 of funding over two years.

Mr McDonnell is not the only leading figure in the retail sector who has expressed concerns about the rising tide of violence.

Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy has called for a change in the law to make abuse or violence towards retail workers an offence across the UK.

Mr Murphy recently revealed the supermarket chain has offered body-worn cameras to members of staff who need them after seeing physical assaults rise by a third in a year. He said Tesco has invested £44m in four years on security measures including door access systems, protection screens and digital radios, as well as the cameras, but called for more to be done against offenders. After a long campaign by retailers and the union Usdaw, last year the Government made attacking shop workers an aggravating factor in convictions, which means offenders should get longer sentences.

However the rest of the UK must copy Scotland, and make abuse or violence towards retail workers an offence in itself.

Usdaw’s annual survey found that three-quarters of retail workers suffered abuse from customers, with “far too many” also experiencing threats and violence. Theft from shops was the trigger for nearly a third of these incidents in 2022 and the latest statistics show that shoplifting increased by 24 per cent last year, according to Usdaw.

Mr Murphy was right to call for improved links between retailers and police forces and for businesses to be given a right to know how a case is proceeding when someone commits a crime in one of its stores.

A coordinated approach to intelligence gathering is the best way of keeping the thugs at bay. During the height of the pandemic, shop workers placed their health in jeopardy every day to feed the nation. The least we can do is ensure their tormentors face the full force of the law.

Greg Wright is the deputy business editor of The Yorkshire Post