Iceland boss Lord Richard Walker has proposed allowing trained retail security staff to carry equipment such as truncheons and pepper spray as retailers battle rising levels of shop theft and violence against workers.
Walker, who is also the government’s cost of living tsar, has submitted a House of Lords private members bill which would establish a licensing scheme for security guards working in retail stores, according to the Financial Times.
The bill would create different tiers of licensing for both premises and security staff. Under the proposals, trained individuals could be given additional powers, including the use of reasonable force for detention, and be allowed to carry approved equipment such as restraint devices under strict conditions.
Walker told the FT he was motivated to submit the bill after campaigning for stronger protection for retail workers, amid what he has previously described as a “shoplifting war” on Britain’s high streets.
“We need the full force of the law fighting this shoplifting epidemic,” he said. “We are constantly fighting with one arm behind our back.”
The bill would require a consultation and a study of comparable licensing schemes in other countries before any changes could be introduced.
Walker is expected to find out on Friday whether the bill has been selected for a first reading in the House of Lords. The main policy debate would take place at second reading, before the bill moves to committee stage for closer scrutiny and votes on amendments. It would then need a third reading before being sent to the House of Commons.
The proposal comes as Iceland prepares to roll out facial recognition technology across 19 stores next week.
This follows warnings from the Information Commissioner’s Office that sharing CCTV images of offenders could risk breaching data protection laws.
Walker has previously pointed to tougher security approaches in other countries, saying: “In Spain security guards have pepper sprays and truncheons, they don’t mess about.”
The Iceland boss has been outspoken on the need for stronger measures to protect retail workers. He previously said he would offer a job to a Waitrose worker who was dismissed after attempting to tackle a shoplifter.
Many major retailers, including Boots and Greggs, advise staff not to intervene in shoplifting incidents in order to protect their safety.
Retailers have become increasingly vocal over the scale of crime and abuse in stores. The British Retail Consortium has estimated that shops have spent around £5bn over the past five years on measures such as security guards, anti-theft technology and facial recognition tools.
Office for National Statistics data shows shoplifting fell one per cent to 509,566 offences in 2025, following a sharp rise in previous years.
The government passed the Crime and Policing Act last month, making it easier to prosecute low-value shoplifting.
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts recently said staff should not have to go to work worried about whether they will face abuse or criminal behaviour during their shift.
“We shouldn’t be in a situation where people are going to work in retail stores and are concerned whether something might happen in the day,” he said.
Roberts said Sainsbury’s was increasing its use of facial recognition technology, with early trials nearly halving logged incidents and helping deter repeat offenders from returning to stores.
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