Your Co-op welcomes plans to toughen Retail Crime Laws

The Midcounties Co-operative, one of the UK’s largest independent co-operatives, has welcomed the Government’s announcement that it plans to make assaulting a shop worker a separate criminal offence.

The announcement is the culmination of more than six years of campaigning by the wider co-operative movement, in conjunction with USDAW, trade bodies including the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) and other retailers.

Midcounties members and colleagues have been at the heart of the campaign, with thousands writing to their local MP in recent months to call for assaulting a retail worker to be made a stand-alone offence.

Phil Ponsonby, Midcounties Chief Executive, said: “Today’s announcement is the culmination of a long and hard-fought campaign, which demonstrates the power of co-operation in action and is a testament to how our members, colleagues and customers are doing good together.

“Making assaults against retail workers a separate criminal offence should help to make our communities safer and I’d like to express our sincere thanks to all of our members, colleagues and partners who have taken an active part in this campaign and helped to achieve this major breakthrough.”

The Society continues to work closely with local police to bring offenders to justice and earlier this month announced it would be providing a £2000 reward for information leading to an arrest over an incident in its Eynsham store, which saw a colleague having to attend hospital after being sprayed with cleaning fluid in store.

In the past two years, Midcounties has invested more than £1 million in equipment and technology to protect colleagues, established close working relationships with local police forces across the region and taking a leading role in campaigning for a change in the law.

Disclaimer: Your Co-op is owned and operated by The Midcounties Co-operative (TMC).