Met chief throws support behind Morrisons manager fired after confronting shoplifter

The Metropolitan Police chief said he was “stunned” by the sacking of a Morrisons store manager who lost his job after an encounter with a shoplifter.

Sir Mark Rowley, Britain’s most senior police officer, said he was surprised the retailer did not support Sean Egan, 46, who was sacked from the only job he ever had, saying he would always encourage the public to help “fight crime”.

Mr Egan was sacked after tackling a shoplifter at the supermarket’s Aldridge branch in the West Midlands in a case that sparked a national debate about how retailers handle shoplifting.

The store manager had worked at Morrisons for 29 years and was escorting a suspected burglar out of the premises when the man became aggressive and spat at him repeatedly. Mr Egan then forced the burglar to leave but was later dismissed at a disciplinary hearing for breaching Morrisons’ “deterrence, not arrest” policy.

The decision sparked a significant backlash, with calls for him to be reinstated and questions raised about whether strict institutional rules deter staff from intervening in crime, even where the arrest of citizens might be legal.

Sir Mark said he “completely” sympathized with Mr Egan and was “stunned” by the case.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, he said: “Maybe there’s something sensitive behind this that none of us know about, that I don’t know about. But if a shop manager apparently feels they can intervene and can do it safely, we always want people to do that. We want the public to be part of the fight against crime.”

He added: “A citizen’s action matters. Policing is not just policing. Keeping communities safe is about all of our responsibilities.”

Mr Egan said the incident had not only left him unemployed but also struggling with anxiety. Describing the incident that led to his dismissal, Egan said: “Like many stores, we were frequently faced with theft, especially during the busy Christmas period.

“In this case, the individual in question was a well-known prolific criminal in the area. I followed company policy, approached him calmly, offered assistance and escorted him from the store when needed.

“But as we approached the exit, I was spat at. That’s when I reacted. Not as a manager. As a human being. That second changed everything.”

At the disciplinary hearing, Mr Egan was told he would be dismissed for failing to comply with the company’s policy of deterrence and non-arrest.

Mr Egan wrote: “Despite nearly three decades of loyalty, performance and commitment, including transforming a number of underperforming stores into some of the most profitable stores in the West Midlands, I have lost my job.”

Sir Mark’s intervention increases pressure on Morrisons as criticism mounts over Mr Egan’s treatment.

Earlier this week, shadow home secretary Chris Philp MP expressed his support for the former store manager. In a post on

“Retailers need to support their staff who stand up to criminals. I’m tired of criminals being allowed to do whatever they want and decent people like Sean being punished.”

A spokesperson for Morrisons said: Independent He stands by the decision and claimed media reports did not reflect “the full facts of the situation.”

They said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, we are confident that this matter was thoroughly investigated and the correct process was followed. Subsequent reports do not fully reflect the facts of the situation.”

“We continue to take extensive precautions against the threat of theft or violence in our stores. “The health and safety of all our colleagues and customers is of the utmost importance to Morrisons. We have very clear guidelines, procedures and controls that must be strictly followed to protect our colleagues and clients from the risk of harm.

“These include detailed procedures for handling shoplifting incidents that are in place to protect both the colleague involved and surrounding colleagues and customers, aiming to de-escalate and calmly control the situation. We will not ask colleagues to put themselves at risk where they may suffer undesirable consequences. “As a responsible employer, our focus is on taking exactly the right action to ensure health and safety is protected at all times.”

The case comes at a time when shoplifting is at an eight-year high in the UK and there is renewed interest in how stores deal with criminals who target them.

News that Mr Egan was sacked over the incident comes just two weeks after a similar case hit the headlines after a 54-year-old man was sacked by Waitrose after being confronted by a shoplifter at a south London store.