A Waitrose employee of 17 years has been sacked after intervening to stop a shoplifter stealing Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs. Walker Smith, 54, a shop assistant at the Clapham Junction branch in south London, said he grabbed the thief's bag after being alerted by a customer. The shoplifter snatched it back, and during a brief struggle the bag snapped, sending the eggs—retailing at £13 each—to the floor. One bunny broke, and Smith threw a piece out of frustration, not aiming at the thief.
Smith said he had been told not to approach shoplifters but was frustrated by repeated thefts. He noted that security had been scaled back, with no guards on Mondays and Tuesdays, leaving non-security staff on the frontline. After the incident, he was reprimanded by his manager and later dismissed in a meeting with two store managers. Smith said he felt demoralised and was led out the back door by the bins.
Smith, who has been diagnosed with anxiety, said he regretted his actions and worried about losing his home. He had recently moved into a studio flat after living with flatmates for 25 years. 'Waitrose is like my family,' he said. 'I just got frustrated seeing this day in and day out and not seeing Waitrose do much about it.'
Retail crime has risen in England and Wales, with 519,381 shoplifting offences recorded in the year to September 2025, up 5% from the previous year. The retail union Usdaw reported that two-thirds of attacks on staff are triggered by theft. A Waitrose spokesperson said the company takes safety seriously and has policies to protect partners, adding that nothing is worth risking lives for.
