Attacking Tesco, Asda, Aldi workers will be criminal offence after Sunak U-turn

People working in the nation's supermarkets are set to receive greater legal protection from violence, after a long-running campaign to protect shopworkers forced the government into a dramatic U-turn.

Despite initially dismissing the need for new legislation in response to an October parliamentary petition, stating it wasn't "required or will be most effective", Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now confirmed an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill to introduce the offence in England and Wales.

Sunak declared: "I am sending a message to those criminals whether they are serious organised criminal gangs, repeat offenders or opportunistic thieves who think they can get away with stealing from these local businesses or abusing shopworkers, enough is enough."

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Last week, Co-op revealed the scale of violence and shoplifting that has plagued retail in the years following the pandemic, with 1000 thefts from their stores every day - a 44 per cent year-on-year rise.

The Prime Minister further emphasised the importance of local shops, saying, "Our local shops are the lifeblood of our communities, and they must be free to trade without the threat of crime or abuse."

The proposed offence comes with a maximum penalty of six months in jail or an unlimited fine, aligning with the current punishment for common assault.

Additionally, the amendments suggest that habitual offenders may be subject to electronic tagging, a measure that could also extend to persistent shoplifters, as the Bill progresses through Parliament.

The Government is set to trial community sentencing initiatives with an unnamed police force to address the surge in shoplifting, and