One hundred of the UK’s biggest retailers have called on the Prime Minister to tackle the “shocking abuse” ahead of key legislation being debated in Parliament today. The letter, co-ordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has been signed by bosses at Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Ikea and scores of other brands. It argues that an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will help tackle escalating violence and abuse against retail staff.

       The BRC said: “The situation cannot be allowed to get any worse. There is a clear need now for better protection in law for retail workers.

       “Victims of abuse, threats and violence carry those experiences with them for life.”

       Attacks have quadrupled since 2014 with some staff reporting assaults almost every day.

       Physical and verbal abuse continued to rise during the pandemic despite shopworkers winning widespread praise for risking infection to keep essential stores open.

       The problem has got so bad that some firms have even issued staff with police-style body-worn cameras.

       Seb James, managing director of Boots, said that violence and aggression towards staff was a “big problem and it’s getting worse. They get death threats, they get pushed into shelving. Shoplifters react in a way which is neither normal nor in any way acceptable.”

       The BRC letter says one business reported a 76 percent increase in abuse and a 10 percent rise in violent attacks during the pandemic, “half involving a weapon”.

       The maximum sentence for common assault is six months imprisonment but is rarely imposed.

       Crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse said: “It is completely unacceptable to threaten or assault retail staff, not least when they are working so hard to keep vital services running, and we absolutely condemn this behaviour.

       “We are putting 20,000 extra police officers into our communities to cut crime – including retail crime – and we launched the #ShopKind campaign in April to provide better support to victims and encourage customers to treat shopworkers with dignity and respect.

       “The Sentencing Council has set out guidelines that mean courts should be increasing sentences for assaults committed against those providing a service to the public, including shopworkers.”