Tories urge Waitrose to reinstate worker sacked 'after tackling shoplifter'

The Conservatives have written to Waitrose asking them to reinstate an employee who says he was sacked after tackling a shoplifter trying to steal Easter eggs.

Walker Smith, 54, told the Guardian he was dismissed from his job after 17 years, two days after a confrontation which resulted in a brief struggle before the man fled.

In his letter, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the case reflected a "wider and growing problem" of offenders acting "brazenly and with little fear of consequence" and suggested Smith should be given back his job - as well as a bonus for "bravery and initiative".

Waitrose said the reporting of the case "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," the spokesperson added.

Philp accused the store of acting "disgracefully" by sacking Smith, saying it meant he faced losing his home.

He said: "Staff safety must come first. But dismissing a long-serving employee in these circumstances sends entirely the wrong message. It penalises those who act, while offenders are left unchecked."

Smith told the Guardian he regretted his actions but decided to intervene at the store in Clapham Junction, south London, after seeing thefts there "every hour of every day for the last five years".

He said: "It's everybody from drug addicts to teenagers nicking bits and bobs or walking out with bottles of wine in their arms. We're not allowed to do anything."

According to the Guardian's report, Smith "grabbed" a bag the shoplifter had been using to place the £13 Easter eggs in, resulting in a struggle lasting a few seconds.

Smith told the paper one of the chocolate eggs broke and he picked a piece and "threw it out of frustration" towards some shopping trolleys.

The paper says he later apologised to the supermarket's manager but the incident was "escalated".

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reacted to the report, writing on X: "We are now a country that favours criminals over law enforcers."

In its statement, Waitrose - part of the John Lewis Partnership - 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."

It added: "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."