Thugs who goal shopworkers warned ‘we’re coming for you’ with legislation change

Thugs who target shopworkers will today be warned: “We are changing the law to come after you.”

Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson will say that years of Tory failure have led to shoplifting gangs acting with impunity. It comes as a survey from trade union Usdaw found that nearly one in five retail staff suffered a violent attack last year – up from just 8% in 2022. And almost half said they had been threatened with violence.

Dame Diana will tell the Cooperative Party’s Retail Crime Summit: “The era of criminals acting with impunity, built up through years of Tory rule, is over.” Labour has pledged to bring in a standalone offence of assaulting a shopworker. A “shoplifter’s charter” introduced under the Tories – which means police don’t routinely investigate thefts worth under £200 – will be scrapped. And an extra £5million will be invested over three years to crack down on organised shoplifting gangs.

There will also be £2million in that time to help police and businesses work together to combat crime. In October last year Tory minister Chris Philp – who is now Shadow Home Secretary – urged members of the public to make citizens’ arrests if they spotted shoplifting.

Dame Diana is expected to say: “He urged members of the public to use their powers when they saw thieves stealing goods.

“A statement that is so deeply irresponsible that it’s almost laughable. That’s how bad it got.

“But it gets worse. Chris Philp is now the Shadow Home Secretary in Kemi Badenoch ’s Conservative top team. At the general election the British people sent a clear message to the Tories, after 14 years of failure, they’d had enough. But the promotion of Chris Philp shows they haven’t listened.”