The executive chairman of Iceland, Lord Walker of Broxton, has called for security guards to be equipped with pepper spray and truncheons to tackle escalating retail crime. He argued that Spanish security guards, who carry such equipment, 'don't mess about', and stressed that 'just one incident of violence against my staff is too many'.
His comments follow remarks from Marks and Spencer's retail director, Thinus Keeve, who revealed that customer-facing employees experience violence and abuse daily. Keeve urged the Government and the Mayor of London to take stronger action, particularly after disorder at an M&S branch in Clapham where hundreds of young people gathered.
Research by the Institute of Customer Service found that 43% of frontline workers had faced hostility or abuse in the previous six months, up from 36% the year before. Institute chief executive Jo Causon said the abuse is 'far too common and all too often goes unpunished'.
The Crime and Policing Bill, which would make assaulting a retail worker a criminal offence, is currently being finalised between the Commons and Lords. Jim Bligh of the British Retail Consortium urged the mayor and police to 'double down on tackling this scourge'.
ONS data shows shoplifting rose 5% in the year to September 2025, with 519,381 incidents recorded.
