Security guard slams 'do not intervene' advice to stop 'out-of-control' shoplifters

A security guard has spoken out about "out of control" shoplifting at supermarkets which he says costs the supermarket where he works at £4,000 a week. Kane Manning, 28, who has worked as a security guard for three years, believes staff should be doing more to tackle the crimes than union bosses currently advise.

The Security Industry Federation (SIF) has instructed its members to observe, report, and act as expert witnesses for police, rather than physically intervening against theft. However, while Kane, from Brighton, agrees that staff should avoid placing themselves in danger, he feels passionately that challenging such behaviour is an integral part of their role.

At the store where he is employed, goods worth as much as £2,000 are stolen over a weekend, and up to £400 on weekdays - with meat and baby formula among the most frequently targeted items. He receives up to three death threats a week, along with violent verbal abuse as many as 20 times daily, and remains fearful for his personal safety despite standing 5ft 11ins tall and being a 15st amateur boxer.

He said: "Shoplifting is totally out of control and getting worse and worse. And shoplifters have become much more aggressive over the years I've been working in security.

"They get very angry and call you names even if you're just patrolling and not even looking at them. I totally disagree with the advice not to intervene, it's our job to challenge.

"If we don't challenge the behaviour they'll just keep coming back for more because they're getting away with it. Security staff need to keep calm and de-escalate situations, and ask people politely to pay for the goods they want.

"We shouldn't be grabbing stuff from people, or blocking the exits, or anything that will aggravate a situation - that's when we get hurt - but we definitely need to challenge shoplifters."

Kane maintains a composed demeanour, measured tone of voice, and relaxed posture, while politely saying, 'excuse me sir/madam, but I can see you haven't paid for that'. He requests that they pay, and reports that they either comply or abandon the items and walk out.

Six months ago, he made the mistake of blocking an exit, only to witness the thief reach into his pocket for a knife, prompting Kane to let him leave with the goods. "I learned my lesson not to block that day," he said. "It's hard not to interfere like that, but it's definitely not worth the risk."

Kane received a death threat over £5 worth of sandwiches just a few weeks ago. He said: "I asked him to pay for them and he started shouting that he was going to wait for my shift to finish and kill me. He was very abusive. But he did actually leave."

Kane revealed that when he gently intervenes, 80 per cent of shoplifters don't come back to the store. The most commonly stolen items, according to Kane, are meat, alcohol, and baby formula. Electrical goods such as toothbrushes represent another frequently targeted item, with thieves simply fleeing once they've triggered the alarms. Kane encounters a diverse range of offenders, spanning ages from 15 to their late 60s.

Shoplifters display remarkable audacity, he explained, simply filling bags before making their escape, only to return for additional items. Others operate in teams, with one person stealing while their accomplice diverts staff attention.

Mums drop packets of formula into the bottom of the pushchair as they shop, he noted. Kane, who initially revealed his account through Talk to the Press, said: "I'm always concerned for my safety when I finish work.

"I'm always looking over my shoulder. Security staff should all wear body cameras, and, where you can, a stab vest in my opinion.

"We need more police. The government need to invest more money in policing so that police can patrol more and deal with shoplifting. It needs to be sorted before more security staff get killed or badly hurt."