Co-op store workers' lives threatened by suspected shoplifters

Police failed to attend 76% of incidents where suspected shoplifters were held by specialist staff in their stores, the Co-op has said.

The chain said there were 3,000 occasions so far in 2023 when alleged offenders were detained, leading to a "pressure cooker environment that puts store workers and communities at risk".

The police recently committed to attend more crime scenes.

The Home Office said police must "take a zero tolerance approach to crime".

The Co-op, along with Sainsbury's, Boots, M&S and Aldi are jointly urging police forces across the UK to offer staff more protection.

Dean Smethurst manages a Co-op store on the outskirts of Manchester city centre, where he said there were an average of 20 incidents of shoplifting each day.

Over the last month he and his team have faced verbal abuse from shoplifters they have interrupted, while one threatened to kill a member of staff, and another threatened them with a knife.

"It does test your resilience," he said.

A roving specialist team detains offenders seen on security cameras but more often than not they have to be released when police fail to attend.

"If they don't turn up then we have to release them, but then that shoplifter will just go and do the next shop," said Mr Smethurst.

Greater Manchester Police's force lead for shoplifting, Supt Cara Charlesworth, said: "Shoplifting remains a priority across all our districts", adding: "Businesses should report any crimes to the police."

"We will investigate and act, no matter the value of the items stolen and all positive lines of inquiry will be investigated," she said.

More expensive items of meat in the store are kept in plastic security containers which are said to be fitted with GPS trackers, as is baby food, while other items are only stocked on shelves in small numbers to limit the amount that can be stolen.

Paul Gerrard, campaigns and public affairs director at the Co-op, said members of staff across its network had been attacked with syringes, bottles, knives and a medieval mace.

A group of 13 retailers, including John Lewis, Tesco and the Co-op, have agreed to stump up almost £800,000 over two years to fund a government partnership, known as Project Pegasus.

The majority of the money will finance a specialist police team that will work within OPAL, the national policing division that oversees intelligence on serious organised acquisitive crime.

It is meant to see shoplifting as being treated like organised crime.

Mr Gerrard said: "This comes down to police resource - will the police deploy resources to protect shopworkers, shops and their communities?"

"I'm hopeful that they will."

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