Iceland founder blasts ‘two-tier policing’ after officers rushed to store when suspicious customer falsely accused staff of racism – yet they ignore violent shoplifters
Anger over the two-tier policing intensified last night after a supermarket boss accused officers of taking a false allegation of racism more seriously than widespread violence by thieves.
“Two-tiered policing doesn’t just happen on the streets,” says Iceland founder Sir Malcolm Walker, as he reveals police descended on one of his stores three minutes after a false accusation of racism was made against a store manager.
Police officers arrived at the scene after a black customer complained of racism after he was caught tampering with milk bottles. The entrepreneur lodged a formal complaint with Scotland Yard after his Asian supervisor was handcuffed and dragged into the police car.
By contrast, Sir Malcolm said police often did not intervene, even in cases where staff were seriously injured or threats of violence were made by thieves.
He said he was moved to speak out following outrage over the killing of Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed by police on his deathbed after his killer falsely accused him of racial abuse.
Sir Malcolm said: ‘There are two tiers of policing. This doesn’t just happen on the streets. We had an incident at a store in Enfield.
‘This man takes milk bottles out of the fridge, opens them and puts them back, so a member of staff objected to him.
‘The man next claims he was racially abused on his phone.
Furious Iceland founder Sir Malcolm Walker claims ‘two-tier policing isn’t just happening on the streets’
Supermarket boss says police officers rushed to one of his stores in Iceland three minutes after a false accusation of racism was made against a store manager
Picture: CCTV footage of incident in London’s Enfield Borough where police were called to false allegations of racism following an alleged shoplifting
The Icelandic worker was handcuffed and dragged into a police car by police officers after a black customer who was caught tampering with milk bottles complained of racism.
‘After three minutes, a police car arrives and they immediately handcuff our staff.
‘These personnel were taken away two or three hours before the matter was closed.
‘What a terrible, exaggerated reaction; this was madness. ‘Why did they feel the need to handcuff him and put him in the police car on a false allegation?’
He added: ‘We receive reports of violence every week; Staff are punched, threatened with hypodermic needles or knives. It’s out of control.
‘Most of the time they don’t bother calling the police because it doesn’t seem to make any difference.
‘Violence against store employees is at its peak. ‘Not in a million years will the police be there in three minutes.’
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘We police London without fear or favor and strive to serve all communities equally. All operational decisions are based on legal principles.’
He added that a man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of public order offenses following the incident in Enfield.
