A long-serving Waitrose employee has spoken of feeling “demoralised” and “frustrated” after being dismissed for confronting a shoplifter attempting to steal Easter eggs.
Walker Smith, 54, a 17-year employee at the Clapham Junction branch, described Waitrose as “like my family”. He claims his dismissal followed an attempt to stop a shoplifter with a bag full of Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs.
Mr Smith grabbed the bag, leading to a brief struggle before it snapped and its contents fell. The shoplifter fled, and Mr Smith, “out of frustration”, threw a piece of a broken chocolate bunny towards some shopping trollies.
“When I got home, I was punching myself and thinking: ‘Why did I do that?’” Mr Smith told The Guardian, having been dismissed two days later in a meeting with store managers. Waitrose stated current reports do not present the “full facts of the situation”, emphasising that “nothing we sell is worth risking lives for”.
Recalling his dismissal, Mr Smith said: “I tried to stay strong and I didn’t say a word, but inside I was crying. They led me out the back door by the bins. I just felt demoralised.”
He added: “Waitrose is like my family. My friends are there. I was there for 17 years, I must have been doing something right. I’m not a bad or violent or aggressive person. I just got frustrated seeing this day in and day out and not seeing Waitrose do much about it.”
Mr Smith, diagnosed with anxiety, claims managers were aware. Despite regretting his actions, he told The Guardian he was driven to intervene after witnessing thefts “every hour of every day for the last five years” without permission.
The incident comes amid a rise in shoplifting offences across England and Wales.
ONS figures show 519,381 offences to September 2025, a 5% increase from the previous year, slightly below the record 530,439 offences recorded to March 2025.
The Conservatives recently reiterated their commitment to “Good Samaritan” protections for retail staff. Shadow Justice Minister Kieran Mullan said “punishing people who step in to stop crime is wrong” and that people doing the “right thing” were being penalised.
Waitrose told the Press Association that the “safety and security” of its workers and customers underpins policies against staff intervening in thefts, explaining: “We’ve had incidents where our Partners have been hospitalised when challenging shoplifters. Luckily, they have always recovered, but that might not always be the case. There is a serious danger to life in tackling shoplifters. We refuse to put anyone’s life at risk and that’s why we have policies in place that are very clearly understood and must be strictly followed. 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. The reporting on this does not cover the full facts of the situation.”
While not discussing Mr Smith’s case, Waitrose confirmed the “correct process” was followed, including an appeals procedure.
