Waitrose is standing by its decision to fire a member of staff who tackled a shoplifter who was attempting to steal Easter eggs.
The upmarket retailer has faced a public backlash for its decision after the news broke on Easter Sunday.
Walker Smith, who had worked at Waitrose’s Clapham Junction branch for 17 years, issued a statement in which he explained he had been alerted to a shoplifter filling a bag with Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs, which were priced at £13 each.
Smith said he recognised the person as a repeat offender and attempted to grab the bag. A brief struggle ensued in which the bag broke and the eggs scattered on the floor. At this point the offender ran for the exit. Smith said he threw some of the broken eggs “out of frustration” but this was not aimed at the shoplifter.
He was reprimanded by his manager as his action went against Waitrose’s policy for shop floor staff not to intervene in instances of theft. However the incident was subsequently escalated and he was dismissed a few days later.
Smith said: “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. I just got frustrated seeing this day in and day out and not seeing Waitrose do much about it.”
However, Waitrose defended its position.
“The safety and security of our partners and customers couldn’t be more important to us, and we have policies in place to protect both,” said a Waitrose spokeswoman.
“We’ve had incidents where our partners have been hospitalised when challenging shoplifters. Luckily, they have always recovered, but that might not always be the case.
“There is a serious danger to life in tackling shoplifters. We refuse to put anyone’s life at risk and that’s why we have policies in place that are very clearly understood and must be strictly followed.
“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.
“We have campaigned for some time for more to be done to protect shopworkers from offenders, including retail crime being made into a specific standalone offence.”
The Grocer understands that Smith has appealed the decision to terminate his employment. Meanwhile, the case has received widespread attention with politicians including shadow home secretary Chris Philp calling for Smith’s reinstatement. Posting on social media, Iceland Foods chairman Richard Walker said Smith would be “welcome to a job with us”.
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