Waitrose worker of 17 years sacked after stopping shoplifter from stealing Easter eggs

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say After deciding to intervene, the assistant seized the bag from the shoplifter, who immediately tried to reclaim it. A brief tussle ensued until the bag tore apart, sending the Easter goods tumbling to the ground.The shoplifter fled towards the exit as one of the chocolate bunnies shattered on the floor. Mr Smith picked up a fragment and hurled it at some trolleys in frustration, but the loyal worker insisted he was not aiming at the thief.Despite his brave intervention, Mr Smith was reprimanded for the incident.Staff at the store had been instructed not to confront people stealing goods, but the worker admitted that years of watching theft go unchallenged pushed him to act.I've been there 17 years. I've seen it happen every hour of every day for the last five years, he said.Mr Smith described witnessing everyone from drug addicts to teenagers walking out with stolen items, adding: We're not allowed to do anything.LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:Ed Miliband staring down Labour rebellion on North Sea oil as energy prices soarArchbishop of Canterbury to use first Easter sermon to issue urgent plea for Middle East peaceArchaeologists uncover marble artefact in ‘cradle of Christianity’ that may alter baptism historyDays later, the loyal worker was summoned to a meeting with two store managers. Sensing what was coming, he made a final appeal to keep his job.Waitrose is like my family, Mr Smith told his bosses, but the dismissal went ahead regardless.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, he told The Guardian.His managers were aware that he suffers from diagnosed anxiety.Mr Smith now fears he could be made homeless, having only recently moved into his own studio flat after spending 25 years living with flatmates. I'm not too sure what's going to happen with this place now. I might be homeless. My confidence is on the floor right now, he said.Retail theft cost an estimated £2billion last year, while more than 40 per cent of shop workers reported experiencing hostility or abuse in the past six months.The rampant practice has led retail leaders to warn that thieves frequently operate with impunity.They have urged stronger action against record levels of shoplifting and warned that offenders have grown more brazen, more organised and more aggressive in their treatment of employees.Jo Causon, who leads the Institute of Customer Service, representing 350 UK businesses, said there had been no real engagement from ministers on surging high-street crime, which she described as a serious threat to economic growth.We've got a workforce that is really frightened about going to work, which is not OK, she said.A Waitrose spokesman insisted that it took the safety and security of customers and staff incredibly seriously and has policies in place that employees are required to follow. The retailer added that guard levels are continually adjusted based on risk.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter