The veteran Waitrose worker who was sacked for tackling an Easter egg thief has said his ‘priority is getting a job’ – but joked it can’t involve ‘dealing with shoplifters’.
Walker Smith, 54, had worked at the supermarket giant’s Clapham Junction branch for 17 years before he was fired after confronting the ‘repeat offender’ shoplifter when a customer told him someone had filled their bag with Easter eggs.
A tug-of-war briefly ensued between the pair before the bag broke and the Lindt Gold Bunny Eggs, which retail for £13 each, spilled onto the floor, smashing into pieces.
Despite the backlash Waitrose has faced over the ‘disgraceful’ decision, even drawing criticism from the Tories, it is understood Mr Smith has not been reinstated at the store – and he is now on the hunt for a new job.
In a tongue-in-cheek social media post on Sunday, the former employee said: ‘Thank you everyone for getting in touch with kind messages and support, I really appreciate it.
‘I didn’t think it would blow up like this but now it has my priority is getting a job. I’m based in Clapham Junction so if you or anyone you know is looking for a reliable, conscientious employee please reach out.
‘I was at Waitrose for 17 years so warehousing, customer service – except dealing with shoplifters(!), or similar would be amazing. Thank you all.’
Mr Smith’s bosses made the decision to sack him as staff had been told not to approach shoplifters.
Walker Smith, 54, had worked for at the supermarket giant’s Clapham Junction branch for 17 years before he was fired after confronting the ‘repeat offender’
Waitrose has defended its decision, claiming there is a ‘serious danger to life’ in tackling thieves and its staff policies must be ‘strictly followed’.
However the supermarket giant has faced furious backlash over the decision – with high profile politicians even weighing in on the row.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp on Monday published a copy of a letter he had written to Waitrose chief executive Tom Denyard.
He called for Mr Smith to be ‘reinstated and given a bonus after he was disgracefully sacked for tackling a shoplifter’.
In his letter, Mr Philp said: ‘Mr Smith had worked for Waitrose for 17 years. According to his account, he acted after being alerted to a theft by a known repeat offender in a store where shoplifting is persistent and often carried out openly.
‘This case reflects a wider and growing problem. Shoplifting is rising sharply, with offenders acting brazenly and with little fear of consequence.
‘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.’
He said members of staff and the public ‘should be supported an encouraged to intervene’ in cases of shoplifting, adding that Mr Smith ‘now faces losing his home and has spoken about the impact on his mental health. That is a serious outcome for someone who was trying to do the right thing’.
Pictured: The Waitrose branch in Clapham Junction, south London, where the alleged shoplifting incident took place
The Shadow Home Secretary urged the supermarket chain to support staff who face shoplifters instead of penalising them.
‘Waitrose has behaved digracefully by sacking Mr Smith,’ wrote in his letter to the supermarket CEO. ‘I urge you to reinstate him immediately, apologise to him and pay him a bonus for his bravery and initiative.’
Amid the fallout over the decision, a fundraiser has so far received nearly £6,000 in donations towards the former employee’s bills and rent.
Hannah Spencer, who started the GoFundMe page, said Waitrose’s decision to sack Mr Smith is ‘terrible’.
She wrote: ‘I’m raising money for Walker Smith who got fired for stopping a thief from stealing from Waitrose – his place of work for 17 years.
‘He simply tried to do the right and noble thing by putting a stop to crime. He was then swiftly fired, escorted to the back of the Waitrose store by the bins and left to rot after 17 years of service.
‘He is now at huge risk of not being able to pay his bills and rent without a job. Terrible treatment!’
A Waitrose spokesman said previously: ‘The safety and security of our Partners and customers couldn’t be more important to us, and we have policies in place to protect both.
‘We’ve had incidents where our Partners have been hospitalised when challenging shoplifters. Luckily, they have always recovered, but that might not always be the case.
‘There is a serious danger to life in tackling shoplifters. We refuse to put anyone’s life at risk and that’s why we have policies in place that are very clearly understood and must be strictly followed.
‘As a responsible employer, we never want to be in a position where we are notifying families of a tragedy because someone tried to stop a theft. Nothing we sell is worth risking lives for.
‘The reporting on this does not cover the full facts of the situation. While we would never be able to discuss an individual case, we can assure you the correct process is being followed, which includes a standard appeals procedure.
‘We have campaigned for some time for more to be done to protect shop workers from offenders, including retail crime being made into a specific stand alone offence.’
