Shop staff fear abuse in Christmas shopping season

Shoppers are being asked to be considerate towards retail staff while Christmas shopping

A shopworker has told the BBC how he saw a colleague being attacked with a syringe by a shoplifter.

Roger, who works in Kent, was speaking as figures are released showing the extent of abuse towards retail staff.

The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) said a survey of 3,000 of its members found 71% had been verbally abused, 48% were threatened and 9% had been assaulted.

The union has called for more consideration towards shopworkers during the Christmas shopping season.

Usdaw is also welcoming new legislation to increase penalties for shoplifting.

Its survey found reports of staff being attacked with trollies, sworn at when a products were not in stock and punched while tackling shoplifters.

Roger, whose identity the BBC is protecting, told BBC Radio Kent: "I've worked in retail for 12 to 13 years, and over the last five or six years the experiences have got worse.

"Shoplifting happens every day, abuse happens every day, whether it's microaggression or outright aggression.

"I've seen a colleague get a syringe pulled on him because someone got caught stealing.

"It's affects your mental health. Some mornings you get up and you don't know what to expect."

Another retail worker in Surrey said they were "pushed out of the shop door by a shoplifter," and were "verbally assaulted daily" and had been subjected to "racial slurs."

In Sussex a member of shop staff told the union's survey they were "threatened with a knife and a needle".

The union USDAW says 71% of its members report being abused by customers

Tudor Price, the CEO of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, said the abuse was due to "the lack of consequences for those actions".

The government's Crime and Policing Bill is expected to end the £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifting and create a new offence of assaulting a shopworker, something Mr Price said was "a great step".

He said: "As an employer, it's heartbreaking. No-one wants their staff to be facing fear and anxiety coming into work."

Supt Rob Marsh, of Kent Police, said: "Our investigators will charge violent offenders and remand them to court.

"Where we bring prolific shoplifters to justice, our officers will also consider seeking a Criminal Behaviour Order that will often ban them from specified businesses."

Christmas shopping season is a stressful time for retail staff

Joanne Thomas, Usdaw general secretary, said: "It remains shocking that nearly three-quarters of those working in retail are regularly facing abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence.

Ms Thomas said the £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters has "effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals".