M&S warns retail crime 'out of control' as staff 'fear going to work' amid threats of violence and abuse

Joe Sledge
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:20:34 +0000

Marks & Spencer has warned retail crime is escalating, with staff increasingly fearful of attending work due to rising levels of violence and abuse.

The retailer said customer-facing employees are now routinely subjected to intimidation and physical attacks.

In one incident over the past week, a staff member was taken to hospital after ammonia was thrown in their face.

The warning follows disorder at the company’s store in Clapham, where large groups of young people gathered and targeted high street shops, damaging property and assaulting a security guard.

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In a separate case, another employee was headbutted while attempting to defuse a situation.

M&S retail director Thinus Keeve criticised both central Government and the Mayor of London in a statement published by the company.

He said: "Without a Government seriously cracking down on crime and a Mayor that prioritises effective policing we are powerless."

Mr Keeve has written to Sadiq Khan calling for urgent action to address the issue.

Separately, chief executive Stuart Machin has contacted Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging stronger measures to protect retail workers.

Mr Keeve described the current wave of crime as "more brazen, more organised and more aggressive" than previously experienced.

He said such incidents are becoming more common across the country, adding that offenders appear to act with little fear of consequences.

Adam Hawksbee told BBC Radio 4 that recent months had seen conditions worsen for staff.

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"Our colleagues are really resilient and they will always manage these incidents in the best way they can, but it clearly has an impact."

Mr Hawksbee added staff felt official figures did not reflect their day-to-day experiences.

He said: "Sometimes when they've seen reports in the media that, you know, retail crime numbers are going down, and they say 'it really doesn't feel like that to us.'"

He said employees were also concerned about their safety when travelling to and from work.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows shoplifting offences in England and Wales reached 519,381 in the year to September 2025, a rise of five per cent compared with the previous year.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said there were 5.5 million theft incidents recorded last year, costing retailers an estimated £400million.

The organisation also reported that shop workers face an average of 36 incidents involving weapons each day.

Legislation currently progressing through Parliament aims to address the issue.

The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a standalone offence for assaulting retail workers and remove the £200 threshold for low-value shoplifting, with a maximum sentence of seven years.