Iceland steps in with job offer after Waitrose sack worker for tackling shoplifter
Walker Smith, 54, said he intervened after being left frustrated at witnessing thefts "every hour of every day for the last five years".
A Waitrose employee who was sacked after confronting a shoplifter has been offered a job at a rival supermarket following the case which attracted national attention. Walker Smith, 54, was dismissed by Waitrose two days after confronting a shoplifter who was attempting to steal a bag of Easter eggs, leading to a brief struggle before the shoplifter fled.
Lord Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland and the Government’s cost-of-living champion, said in a LinkedIn post on Monday evening that Mr Smith was “welcome to a job with us”, and joked “we even share the same name”. Mr Smith, who had worked at the retailer’s Clapham Junction branch for 17 years, told the media he regretted his actions, but had been spurred to intervene by watching thefts at the store “every hour of every day for the last five years” and not being allowed to do anything. It comes after shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Waitrose had acted “disgracefully” by sacking Mr Smith.
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In a letter to Waitrose managing director Tom Denyard posted on social media, Mr Philp called for Mr Smith to be reinstated and paid a bonus “for his bravery and initiative”.
He said: “Staff safety must come first.
“But dismissing a long-serving employee in these circumstances sends entirely the wrong message. It penalises those who act, while offenders are left unchecked.
The incident comes amid a rise in shoplifting, with offences increasing 5% in the year to September 2025, according to the latest figures.
Waitrose has said that reporting of Mr Smith’s case, based on an interview with The Guardian, does not cover the “full facts of the situation”.
The supermarket chain also said the “safety and security” of its workers and customers is the reason it has policies in place to prevent actions like those of Mr Smith.
Waitrose said it would not discuss Mr Smith’s case specifically, but added the “correct process” was followed, including an appeals procedure.
The upmarket supermarket is not the only company to impose rules preventing employees from tackling shoplifters, with Co-op telling staff not to stop thieves.
Workers have reportedly been warned that challenging or physically intervening to stop shoplifters walking out with unpaid goods is a sackable offence.
The controversial directive means employees are effectively forced to stand back and watch as items are taken, even in blatant cases.
One worker told The Sun: “It’s ridiculous — we have been told not to stop them walking out with stolen gear and that laying a finger on them is a sackable offence. They come in knowing they can fill their bags and walk out without paying.
“They took so much wine that we locked it in a cabinet but everything else in the store is up for grabs.
“We have to stand and watch.”
