Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has urged the boss of Waitrose to re-hire Walker Smith, who tackled a shoplifter in south London attempting to steal luxury Easter eggs.
Waitrose shop assistant Walker Smith was sacked by the supermarket after tackling a shoplifter, whom Smith recognised as a repeat offender.
Philp wrote to Denyard, the managing director of Waitrose, urging him to welcome Smith back to the store in Clapham, near to where dozens of teenagers stormed Marks & Spencer last week.
The Tory frontbencher said dismissing Smith, who had been at Waitrose for 17 years would send “entirely the wrong message” as it “penalises those who act while offenders are left unchecked”.
“Store staff and the public should be supported to intervene,” Philp wrote.
“Otherwise, shoplifting will continue to surge unchecked”.
Philp also attacked the sacking and said the company had “behaved disgracefully”, adding that Smith should be paid a bonus “for his bravery and initiative”.
Smith was informed by a shopper about the theft before he approached the shoplifter and grabbed a bag containing Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs, worth £13.
The bag fell to the floor and the chocolate smashed into pieces, which Smith then threw at a shopping trolley “out of frustration” while the shoplifter dashed out.
He was told off by his manager and Smith apologised, but said he had become frustrated with his inability to stop people “walking out with bottles of wine in their arms”.
He was sacked a few days later after a meeting with managers.
“Waitrose is like my family. My friends are there. I was there for 17 years, I must have been doing something right. I’m not a bad or violent or aggressive person,” he told The Guardian.
“I just got frustrated seeing this day in and day out and not seeing Waitrose do much about it.”
Waitrose say ‘correct process is being followed’
In response to Philp’s letter, a Waitrose spokesperson said that they prioritised the safety of staff and customers, and had policies to “protect both”.
They added that some staff had previously been hospitalised by tackling shoplifters and said there was a “serious danger” that could put lives at risk.
The spokesperson added: “As a responsible employer, we never want to be in a position where we are notifying families of a tragedy because someone tried to stop a theft. Nothing we sell is worth risking lives for.
“The reporting on this does not cover the full facts of the situation. While we would never be able to discuss an individual case, we can assure you the correct process is being followed, which includes a standard appeals procedure.
Shoplifting has tormented major retailers since the pandemic.
M&S retail director Thinus Keeve recently said he had called on home secretary Shabana Mahmood and London mayor Sadiq Khan to tackle crime on high streets.
A short distance from the Waitrose store in Clapham Junction, an M&S store on Clapham High Street was the centre of an incident where dozens of hooded youths stormed in and filmed content for social media.
Keeve said in an article on the M&S website, which was also published by The Telegraph, that gangs had forced cabinets to open, staff had been targeted and shoplifters “brazenly” walked out of shops with expensive items.
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