UK grocery store employee sacked after stopping Easter egg thief

An employee of 17 years at a UK grocery store has been sacked after stopping a shoplifter who had attempted to take a display of Lindt gold bunny Easter eggs.

Walker Smith, who worked as a shop assistant at a Waitrose in South London, told The Guardian he was going about his normal workday when a customer informed him someone was trying to steal the items.

Smith, 54, said the person had been a repeat offender. When he found the would-be shoplifter, Smith said he “grabbed the bag”, which snapped after a struggle between the two.

The easter eggs, which sell for £13 (NZ$30.13) each – then hit the floor, and the shoplifter ran out of the store.

Smith told The Guardian one of the bunnies had broken into bits, one of which he picked up and “threw it out of frustration” towards trolleys at the store, and not at the shoplifter.

Smith said he then had been told off by a manager, where he apologised. It was then escalated.

He had already been told at a prior time to not intervene with shoplifters, but said seeing it happen “every hour of every day for the last five years” was what sprung him into action.

“It’s everybody from drug addicts to teenagers nicking bits and bobs or walking out with bottles of wine in their arms. We’re not allowed to do anything.”

Smith said he had been “punching himself” thinking “why did I do that” over the incident, but despite making a plea to stay in a meeting with store managers a few days later, he was still dismissed.

He added he now worries about his future, due to having just moved out of a flat and now living on his own.

“My confidence is on the floor right now."

In a statement, a Waitrose spokesperson told The Guardian: “We take the safety and security of our customers and our partners incredibly seriously and to do this we have policies in place which our partners are aware of and required to follow.

“In reference to the point on guarding – we make absolutely sure that our shops have appropriate levels of guarding and this is constantly adjusted according to the level of risk.”

The spokesperson added the policies were strict due to danger to life for those intervening in shoplifting situations.

“As a responsible employer, we never want to be in a position where we are notifying families of a tragedy because someone tried to stop a theft. Nothing we sell is worth risking lives for.”