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Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts has backed calls for tougher laws to protect shop workers from abuse and physical attacks.
Roberts told the Mail on Sunday that he had been working with the government and other retail bosses after attacks on the supermarket’s staff “escalated through last year”.
He stated that Sainsbury’s had invested millions into body-worn cameras which have been offered to all its 150,000 staff.
The cameras send a signal to a support team who can watch the footage and if necessary, ring the police and ask for officers to be sent to the store.
Roberts said: “I see a report every day on the number of violent incidents and assaults on our people in our petrol stations, our convenience stores and in our shops.
“Any situation where a human being feels threatened or not safe – we need to put the strength of the law behind that. We have a responsibility and the government and police do as well.”
Roberts added: “We wanted to lead the industry [on body cameras]. There were all kinds of issues around data protection, but in the end you just have to take a position. The key point is that this should not be in any way just overlooked.This is a crime. Stealing is a crime.”
The news comes after Roberts confirmed that Sainsbury’s was also in contact with the Government over potential delays due to the Red Sea crisis.
