ITV Loose Women star lets rip on Waitrose over sacking of worker who confronted shoplifter: 'High Streets will be RANSACKED!'

Alex Davies
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:33:59 +0000

Loose Women panellist Jane Moore has joined the growing list of voices who've criticised Waitrose over the sacking of one of its employees.

The supermarket chain sacked Clapham Junction store employee Walker Smith after he confronted an alleged shoplifter he saw pocketing luxury Easter Eggs.

After news of his dismissal hit headlines, several high-profile figures spoke out against the decision.

GB News star Patrick Christys called the incident "disgraceful", while Camilla Tominey echoed this by calling Waitrose "utterly ridiculous".

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ITV's Ms Moore has followed suit, slamming the firing of Mr Smith in a strongly-worded column.

Ms Moore began her latest piece by recalling a case from Victorian-era England when a young lad was imprisoned for three weeks for breaking a glass.

The TV personality went on to clarify that she wasn't advocating for 19th-century laws to be reintroduced, but asked: "When did the pendulum swing so far the other way that it’s now deemed acceptable to do nothing about career thieves ransacking shops with impunity?"

Ms Moore then shared Waitrose's response to Mr Smith's sacking, in which it emphasised its policies that ensure staff "clearly understand" that tackling shoplifters "poses a serious danger to life".

"Fair enough, but surely a simple reprimand and reminder of the policy would have sufficed?" Ms Moore mused.

She added: "It’s yet another message to the weary law-abiding that the proactive policing of our streets has all but been abandoned and we’re now living with the Wild West mentality of 'everyone for themselves'."

The Loose Women regular praised Marks and Spencer bosses for their calls for firmer protections against shoplifters before she shared her rather damning assessment of today's state of affairs.

"We’re way past the scenario of desperate people stealing food or nappies for their kids," she penned.

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"It’s now being carried out by organised gangs who leave retail staff fearful of coming to work."

Ms Moore concluded her column in The Sun with a rather worrying prediction.

"Retail crime has always existed, but it now feels that, unless those allegedly in power act fast, what’s left of our High Streets will soon be ransacked to the point of dereliction.

"And if left unchecked, who’s to say those same gangs won’t then move on to target private homes?"

There has been an upturn in fortunes for Mr Smith in the wake of his dismissal by Waitrose.

Iceland's executive chairman, Lord Richard Walker, extended a job offer to the shop assistant earlier this week via LinkedIn.

The government's cost-of-living champion reached out through LinkedIn, posting: "You're welcome to a job with us. We even share the same name…"

A Waitrose spokesperson defended the decision, saying: "There is a serious danger to life in tackling shoplifters... that’s why we have policies in place that are very clearly understood and must be strictly followed."

This isn't the first time Ms Moore has used her weekly newspaper column to share her thoughts on the latest headlines.

Last week, the journalist waded into the saga surrounding Scott Mills' axe from the BBC, questioning why the decision to sack him was made by the corporation.

She's also shared no-holds-barred columns about the ongoing Beckham family drama, the Peter Mandelson controversy, and Adam Peaty's familial feud in recent weeks.