Retail groups have welcomed the announcement by the government of a series of measures to tackle retail crime.
Assaulting a retail worker is to be made a standalone criminal offence, with perpetrators potentially being sent to prison for up to six months, receiving an unlimited fine and being banned from going back to the shop where they committed their crimes, with Criminal Behaviour Orders barring them visiting specific premises.
Breaching an order is also a criminal offence and carries a five-year maximum prison sentence. For the most serious cases of assault, such as causing grievous bodily harm with intent, offenders could face a life sentence.
The move to create the new offence follows longstanding campaigning by Matt Vickers MP as well as from major retailers calling for more action to better protect their staff.
Although in serious cases offenders found guilty of grievous bodily harm will face jail sentences, anyone convicted of the new offence would not routinely go to prison. The Sentencing Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, would mean sentences of 12 months or less would be suspended and served in the community, although a prison sentence could be imposed in exceptional circumstances.
The new measures include wider use of electronic monitoring tags if an offender is found guilty of assaulting staff three times or is sentenced for shoplifting on three separate occasions.
A £55.5m package of investment, spread over four years, will also see the roll-out of facial recognition technology and bespoke mobile units that can be deployed to high streets to help police identify banned individuals and repeat shoplifters.
Announcing the new measures, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Our local shops are the lifeblood of our communities, and they must be free to trade without the threat of crime or abuse.
“I am sending a message to those criminals – whether they are serious organised criminal gangs, repeat offenders or opportunistic thieves – who think they can get away with stealing from these local businesses or abusing shopworkers, enough is enough.”
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, commented: “After relentless campaigning for a specific offence for assaulting retail workers, the voices of the three million people working in retail are finally being heard.
“The impact of retail violence has steadily worsened, with people facing racial abuse, sexual harassment, threatening behaviour, physical assault and threats with weapons, often linked to organised crime. Victims are ordinary hardworking people – teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare.
“This announcement sends a clear message that abusive behaviour will not be tolerated and it is vital the police use this new legislation to step up their response to incidents. Together, we must stamp out this scourge in crime that has been sweeping the nation and ensure retail workers are given the vital protections they deserve.”
The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), which work swith over 6,000 independent businesses, welcomed the announcement.
Chief executive Andrew Goodacre said: “For some time, Bira along with the wider retail sector, has been calling for more protection for people who work in shops. We are delighted with this announcement, especially as we are dealing with a significant increase in retail crime.”
The association’s 2024 Retail Crime Survey revealed that 35.5% of respondents had experienced verbal abuse from individuals in their shops.
Goodacre added: “While we’re encouraged by the government’s commitment to tackle this unacceptable abuse, these figures underscore the need for real reform and resources to ensure shopkeepers feel protected. Bira and the entire retail community appreciate this vital first step.”
