Waitrose worker ‘crying inside’ after being sacked for confronting shoplifter | UK | News

Waitrose has continued to defend its decision to dismiss a member of staff who intervened to stop a shoplifter, despite growing condemnation from politicians.

Walker Smith, 54, had been employed by Waitrose for 17 years prior to his dismissal.

He revealed he was « crying inside » when management escorted him out, as the retailer felt like his family.

Mr Smith worked as a shop assistant at a Waitrose branch in Clapham Junction, south London. He was carrying out his routine duties when a customer alerted him that an individual had filled a bag with eggs.

Standard protocol dictates that staff should refrain from confronting shoplifters and instead refer the matter to senior colleagues. However, having witnessed countless thefts over the years, Mr Smith decided to take matters into his own hands.

He challenged the thief and seized their bag. A brief struggle allegedly ensued, before the bag split and several Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs scattered across the floor. The shoplifter fled towards the exit, but Mr Smith picked up a fragment of broken Easter egg and « threw it out of frustration » towards some trolleys – and not at the thief – he said.

He was reprimanded by his manager at the time, yet several weeks later, he was called to a meeting with store management. Mr Smith said he made a final plea for leniency, but was ultimately told he was being let go. He told the Guardian: « I tried to stay strong and I didn’t say a word but inside I was crying. They led me out the back door by the bins. I just felt demoralised.

« 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. »

Mr Smith later conveyed his appreciation to supporters on his personal Facebook page, noting that his immediate priority is finding new employment.

He wrote: « Thank you everyone for getting in touch with kind messages and support, I really appreciate it. I didn’t think it would blow up like this but now it has my priority is getting a job.

« I’m based in Clapham Junction so if you or anyone you know is looking for a reliable, conscientious employee please reach out. I was at Waitrose for 17 years so warehousing, customer service – except dealing with shoplifters(!), or similar would be amazing. »

Waitrose, for its part, emphasised that staff safety was of utmost importance, which is why it upheld specific protocols for handling shoplifters. The retailer acknowledged that staff members had previously been injured while confronting shoplifters, stating it would never wish to put its workers in harm’s way. A Waitrose spokesperson said: « 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. 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 shop workers from offenders, including retail crime being made into a specific stand alone offence. »