Met Police chief hails Morrisons manager who tackled shoplifter and left 'bewildered' over sacking

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the Commissioner said he "completely" sympathises with the former manager.

"I'm bewildered by the case. Maybe there's something sensitive behind it that none of us know, I don't know," Sir Mark said.

He emphasised that when store managers feel capable of intervening safely, police want them to do so.

"We want the public to be part of the fight against crime," he added, "the act of a citizen is important. Policing isn't just about policing. Keeping communities safe is about all of our responsibilities."

Mr Egan, 46, had spent nearly three decades working at the Aldridge branch, near Walsall in the West Midlands, before his dismissal.

He explained he spotted a known thief placing bottles of spirits into a bag and requested he return the items, following company procedure.

When the man refused and Mr Egan mentioned involving police, the situation escalated.

"The policy is for me to escort him from the premises, which I did. I was doing so walking along the tills when he turned and spat at me," Mr Egan said.

"He was aggressive, verbally aggressive and spat at me. I reacted in a way where I had to defend myself and I was put in a situation where the customers and staff around me were safe also."

With no security guard on duty, Mr Egan intervened when the shoplifter reached into his bag, uncertain of what he might retrieve.

He described the thief as being "as strong as a bear", and with assistance from a fellow manager, they succeeded in ejecting the man from the premises, where police officers nearby recognised him by name and placed him in handcuffs.

Mr Egan was subsequently dismissed following a disciplinary hearing, for breaching Morrisons' deter-not-detain policy.

The sacking has taken a severe toll on his wellbeing, saying: "I've been in a spiral of depression, in counselling. It's been an absolute black hole of my life."

Mr Egan revealed he had regarded the supermarket chain as "family", yet felt abandoned by them throughout the process.

"It's my only ever job, it's the only job I've ever had my entire life. It's all I've known," he said.

Sir Mark also voiced frustration that numerous retailers still fail to cooperate with police by sharing CCTV footage, allowing staff to provide statements, or compensating employees for court appearances related to theft.

He said: "I can understand a retailer that doesn't want to encourage its employees to get into physical confrontations when they're not equipped and trained to do it, but if someone feels physically, 'I am able to do this', I'd be surprised why a retailer wouldn't support them."

Mr Egan spoke of the wider consequences of retail theft, noting that his local community feels strongly about preventing crime.

He pointed to the cost of living crisis and rising prices, arguing that shoplifting contributes to higher costs for consumers and forces businesses to implement preventative measures.

Morrisons said it could not comment on individual cases, but a spokesman told GB News: "We are continuing to take wide ranging action to address the threat of shoplifting or violence in our stores.

"The health and safety of all colleagues and customers is of paramount importance to Morrisons. We have very clear guidance, procedures and controls in place to protect our colleagues and customers from the risk of harm, which must be strictly followed.

"These include detailed procedures for handling shoplifting incidents, which are in place to protect both the colleague involved and surrounding colleagues and customers, and which seek to de-escalate and calmly control the situation. We will not ask colleagues to put themselves at risk.

"As a responsible employer, our focus is entirely on taking the correct action to ensure health and safety is maintained at all times."