Left-wing activists that targeted the Crown Jewels with custard ‘plan mass shoplifting at Waitrose’

The group has said it will "redistribute" food taken from shops into local communities in a show of opposition to "skyrocketing" prices.

Four protesters were arrested last month after TBP targeted the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, throwing apple crumble and custard onto a display case.

The group said it carried out the stunt to demand the Government establishes a permanent citizens’ assembly – a “House of the People” – with the power to “tax extreme wealth and fix Britain”.

Just days before, it was responsible for emptying bags of manure next to a Christmas tree at the Ritz Hotel.

At an event formally launching the group at Limehouse Town Hall, east London, on Saturday, it revealed its latest plans to target supermarkets.

According to The Telegraph, co-founder Arthur Clifton told the audience: "We have seen that food is locked behind skyrocketing prices. Less and less people can afford less and less food.

“So what we do is actually pretty obvious – we go in there, we take it out and we redistribute it to the local community. This is what we are going to be doing in March.”

"We’ll be coming down to London in April for a week of action – a massive take-back with 50 to 100 people just going in and clearing out a Waitrose," he added.

TBP has raised almost £58,000 in donations from more than 1,300 people in an online fundraiser to support its campaigns to "tax the rich".

Among the list of services it says the money will fund includes £12,000 to pay for accommodation for activists and £4,000 for equipment such as megaphones and banners.

The group also said it required £26,000 to run public meetings and training in eight cities and "mobilise new people into action from January to March".

The fundraiser states: "Next Spring, we will be mobilising hundreds of people to take action targeting the luxury lifestyle of the super-rich.

"We are not funded by big donors, so we rely on small donations from people like you to get there!"

A spokesman for Waitrose said: "Our priority is to keep our employees, who are partners in our business, and our customers safe.

"Waitrose is employee-owned and we do everything we can to return any profits to our partners, not external shareholders.

"So in targeting Waitrose, the group would be harming ordinary workers, the very people they claim to be helping.

“We’re proud of our quality, higher welfare and provenance – that’s why customers choose us.

"It would be ironic to target a business that’s run on democratic principles and tries to do the right thing.”