Waitrose employee sacked after confronting shoplifter stealing chocolate Easter eggs
A long-serving Waitrose worker said she was left “disheartened” and “disappointed” after being made redundant after encountering a thief trying to steal Easter eggs.
Walker Smith, 54, an employee of the Clapham Junction branch for 17 years, described Waitrose as “like my family”.
He claims his dismissal followed an attempt to stop a shoplifter with a bag full of Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs.
Mr Smith grabbed the bag and after a brief struggle the bag broke and its contents fell out.
The thief fled and Mr Smith “in frustration” threw a piece of the broken chocolate bunny towards the shopping trolleys.
“I was punching myself when I got home and was like, ‘Why did I do this?'” Mr. Smith said. “I was thinking,” he said. GuardHe was dismissed at a meeting with store managers two days later.
Waitrose said current reports did not reflect “the full facts of the situation” and stressed that “nothing we sell is worth risking lives”.
Mr Smith said: “I tried to stay strong and didn’t say a word but inside I was crying. They took me out the back door by the bins. I felt demoralized.”
He added: “Waitrose is like family to me. My friends are there. I’ve been there for 17 years, I must be doing something right. I’m not a bad, violent or aggressive person. I’m disappointed to see this situation every day and not to see Waitrose doing much about it.”
Mr Smith, who has been diagnosed with anxiety, claims managers were aware of the condition.
he said Guard He was forced to intervene after witnessing unauthorized thefts “at all hours of every day for the last five years.”
The incident comes at a time when burglary crimes are on the rise in England and Wales.
ONS figures show 519,381 crimes by September 2025; This is just under the record 530,439 crimes recorded in the year to March 2025, up 5% on the previous year.
The Conservatives recently reiterated their commitment to “Good Samaritan” protection for retail staff.
Shadow Justice Secretary Kieran Mullan said it was “wrong to punish people who intervene to stop crime” and that those who did “the right thing” were punished.
Waitrose said the “safety and security” of its employees and customers underpinned policies against staff responding to thefts.
“We have had incidents where our partners have been hospitalized while fighting against thieves. Fortunately, they have always recovered, but this may not always be the case. There is serious life-threatening danger when fighting against thieves.
“We refuse to put anyone’s life at risk and that’s why we have policies that are very clearly understood and must be strictly adhered to. “As a responsible employer, we would never want to be in a position to notify families of a tragedy because someone tried to stop the theft.
“Nothing we sell is worth risking lives. News on this issue does not cover the full facts of the situation.”
Waitrose, which did not discuss Mr Smith’s case, said the “correct process” was followed, including an appeals procedure.
