Security guards have been instructed not to intervene if they witness shoplifting, due to concerns over personal injury or licence revocation. Union leaders have advised their members to 'watch, report and be an expert witness for police', but to avoid putting themselves at risk for the benefit of 'those who may not support you afterwards'.
Union Clarifies Guidance Amid Rising Shoplifting
Daniel Garnham, general secretary of the Security Industry Federation (SIF), stated he was clarifying existing advice in response to 'the growing level of shoplifting and violence' and increased 'confusion' over expected staff conduct. He noted that security workers face 'different rules in different places', blaming the lack of a 'joined-up approach' between regulators, employers, and clients.
This intervention follows several high-profile cases where shopworkers were dismissed for their responses to shoplifting incidents.
High-Profile Dismissals
Morrisons manager Sean Egan, 46, made national headlines last week after being sacked from the Aldridge branch near Walsall, where he had worked for 29 years. He was dismissed for intervening with a prolific shoplifter who became aggressive and began spitting, which the company said violated their deter-and-not-detain policy.
Waitrose shop assistant Walker Smith, a 17-year veteran, was sacked earlier this month for tackling an Easter egg thief at the Clapham Junction branch in South West London. The 54-year-old grabbed the thief's bag, leading to a tug-of-war that spilled £13 worth of Lindt eggs across the floor. Waitrose maintains a strict policy against staff confronting shoplifters.
Similarly, Gavin Ramsay, 49, was dismissed from Asda after 25 years of service for attempting to prevent a young person from stealing a bottle of alcohol.
Union Calls for Clearer Guidelines
Some supermarket bosses have publicly advocated for security guards to be armed with batons and pepper spray to better tackle shoplifters. However, the SIF insisted this would be 'reckless' without proper preparation, arguing it would create 'even more risk in an already confused and inconsistent system'.
Members were urged to avoid intervening with troublemakers, even if it goes against their 'instincts'. Mr Garnham stated: 'Someone else’s stock is not more important than your safety, your career or your licence. We need clear national guidance on lawful intervention, better and more realistic training, proper support for workers who act in good faith, and an end to policies that leave officers exposed to violence while punishing them for trying to do their job.'
He added: 'Security workers deserve clarity. They deserve consistency. Most of all, they deserve support.'
Retail Union Support
The retail union Usdaw, representing 360,000 members, also advises its members 'not to intervene against potentially dangerous criminals and to keep themselves safe'. GMB, one of Britain's largest unions representing thousands of security guards, stated that 'retailers cannot expect security guards to put themselves at physical risk just to protect their bottom lines'.
Government Response
These developments come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised a crackdown on 'free-for-all' shoplifting, which often sees offenders go unpunished. He announced an additional 3,000 police officers on the streets to combat shop theft and pledged to make assaulting retail workers a specific criminal offence.
This follows Tesco CEO Ken Murphy's call to criminalise retail abuse in the Mail on Sunday in 2023, and after bakery chain Greggs began moving items behind tills to deter thieves. The new offence is expected to be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill, which has been debated between the Commons and the Lords.
Labour also plans to scrap the £200 threshold for shoplifting offences, below which the crime is a summary-only offence tried before magistrates. Starmer said this would end what he called the 'shoplifter's charter', ending impunity for thieves stealing items worth less than this amount.
