Patrick Christys blasts 'disgraceful' Waitrose over sacking of worker of 17 years who stopped shoplifter stealing Easter Eggs

Alex Davies
Sun, 05 Apr 2026 19:39:16 +0000

Patrick Christys has shared his verdict after a Waitrose shop assistant was dismissed from his position at the supermarket's Clapham Junction branch in south London.

Walker Smith, 54, lost his job following a confrontation with a suspected shoplifter who had been filling a bag with Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs, each retailing at £13.

Mr Smith was an employee at the company for 17 years.

After news of Mr Smith's dismissal hit headlines, several have reacted furiously to what they deemed to be an unfair decision, and the People's Channel's Patrick is no different.

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Taking to X, Patrick fumed: "So a bloke who worked for @waitrose for 17 years tackled a shoplifter in Clapham, the same area we’ve seen rampant lawlessness and Waitrose FIRED him?!

"Disgraceful. They should thank him & give him a pay rise. What message is Waitrose sending to employees and shoplifters?!" (sic)

It soon became clear that several of Patrick's followers were in agreement. "Think this has backfired on Waitrose, quite right too. Disgusting behaviour," one X user penned.

"Where did it all go wrong? Why are shoplifters immune these days? Absolutely disgraceful," a second weighed in before a third typed: "This country is broken."

So a bloke who worked for @waitrose for 17 years tackled a shoplifter in Clapham, the same area we’ve seen rampant lawlessness … and Waitrose FIRED him?! Disgraceful. They should thank him & give him a pay rise. What message is Waitrose sending to employees…and shoplifters?!
— Patrick Christys (@PatrickChristys) April 5, 2026

Elsewhere, a fourth weighed in: "Agreed. Can’t believe that they did this. From a moral and PR standpoint, it’s a ridiculous decision."

The incident began when a customer approached Mr Smith to alert him that someone was loading the chocolate products into a Waitrose carrier bag.

Mr Smith recognised the individual as a repeat offender who had previously targeted the store.

His decision to act, though driven by years of frustration at witnessing constant theft, ultimately cost him his livelihood.

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Mr Smith seized the bag from the suspected thief, who immediately attempted to pull it back, resulting in a brief scuffle lasting several seconds.

The struggle ended when the bag tore open, sending the luxury chocolate eggs crashing to the floor.

As the shoplifter fled towards the exit, one of the bunnies shattered into pieces.

"I picked a piece of the broken bunny and threw it out of frustration" towards some shopping trolleys, Mr Smith told The Guardian, emphasising he was not aiming at the fleeing individual.

A manager reprimanded him for his actions, and he apologised, though the matter was subsequently escalated.

Mr Smith acknowledged he had been previously instructed not to challenge shoplifters, but witnessing theft "every hour of every day for the last five years" had pushed him to intervene.

Several days after the incident, Mr Smith was summoned to a meeting with two store managers, sensing what the outcome would be.

"I had a feeling about what was going to happen," he said, making a final plea to his employers that "Waitrose is like my family."

His appeal proved unsuccessful, and he was dismissed regardless.

Mr Smith, who has a diagnosed anxiety condition that his managers were aware of, had only recently secured his own studio flat after sharing accommodation for a quarter of a century.

"I'm not too sure what's going to happen with this place now. I might be homeless. My confidence is on the floor right now," he said.

The dismissal comes against a backdrop of surging retail crime across the country, with official statistics recording 519,381 shoplifting offences in England and Wales during the year to September 2025, representing a five per cent increase on the previous twelve months.

Retail union Usdaw warned in February that shop workers face "unacceptable" levels of violence, with two-thirds of attacks on staff triggered by theft or armed robbery.

Stuart Machin, chief executive of Marks & Spencer, urged the government and London's mayor on Friday to tackle retail crime, warning it has become "more brazen, more organised and more aggressive."

A Waitrose spokesperson defended the company's policies, stating they take safety "incredibly seriously" and noting that staff have previously been hospitalised when confronting shoplifters.