Abuse of staff ‘rising’

THE Government has been urged to take urgent action to tackle violence and abuse towards shopworkers.

Bosses from 65 high street names – including Aldi, Mcdonald’s, Boots and the Post Office – sent a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for stronger laws.

It follows workers’ experiences, with one member of staff saying he was “threatened with a syringe because a shoplifter was stealing cheese and said if I didn’t get out of the way he would stab me”.

Helen Dickinson, boss of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Every day over 400 retail staff are attacked, threatened, or abused. Over 150,000 in 2019, and these numbers have been rising during the pandemic.

“The recent surge in violence should be a wake-up call. Retail workers are playing a vital role during the biggest public health crisis of our time – and at what cost?”