Sainsbury’s boss Simon Roberts has backed calls for changes in the law to protect shop workers as abuse and physical attacks on the supermarket’s staff has “escalated through last year”.
The chief executive told The Mail on Sunday he has been working with the government and fellow retail bosses to work out a solution to clamp down on what some industry bosses have labelled a shoplifting “epidemic”.
Roberts said: “I see a report every day on the number of violent incidents and assaults on our people in our petrol stations, our convenience stores and in our shops.
“Any situation where a human being feels threatened or not safe – we need to put the strength of the law behind that.
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“We have a responsibility and the government and police do as well.”
He said Sainsbury’s had invested millions into body-worn cameras which have been offered to all its 150,000 staff.
When switched on, the cameras send a signal to a support team who can watch the footage and if necessary, ring the police and ask for officers to be sent to the store.
Roberts said: “We wanted to lead the industry [on body cameras]. There were all kinds of issues around data protection, but in the end you just have to take a position.
“The key point is that this should not be in any way just overlooked.This is a crime. Stealing is a crime,” Roberts added.
His comments come as Sainsbury’s said it will have spent more than £220m on cutting prices for shoppers by the end of the financial year as it looks to “keep prices low” for customers.
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