New Scottish law to protect retailers from attack comes into force

Hussan Lal, 59, was kicked in the chest when he confronted six men barging into his convenience store.

At the Scottish Parliament this week (23 August) he thanked Daniel Johnson, a Labour MSP and a former retailer, who brought in a Private Members Bill to offer retailers more protection against crime.

Lal, representing the Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN), also paid tribute to others including Ash Denham, Minister for Community Safety in the Scottish Government, who agreed to turn the bill into a law which comes into force today (24 August).

The new legislation takes effect at a time when research from the British Retail Consortium revealed that in 2020, there were 424 incidents of violence and abuse every day.

Meanwhile, an Usdaw survey found that in the last year 92% of shopworkers had experienced verbal abuse, 70% had been threatened by customers and 14% per cent were assaulted.

Lal, who was representing the NFRN, said: “I was proud to serve Queen and country before moving into retail. But it is not easy. I am attacked and many other retailers are too. It is horrendous.”

Lal added that the important thing now was that the police enforce the new law.

He said: “I had to ask six men to leave when they barged into my shop in breach of the rules that face coverings should be worn and no more than two people can be inside at a time.

“It was six people against one. As I was phoning the police one was kicking me in the chest. I didn’t know where it would end – if one of them would pull a knife.

“Police need to send someone out promptly otherwise retailers don’t feel protected and criminals are encouraged to attack again. We are assaulted and racially abused.”

Lal, immediate past Scottish President in the NFRN, now runs St Mirren Food Store in Love St, Paisley.

The Protection of Workers Act aims to give greater protection to retail workers, who may be assaulted or robbed and often face aggression when they uphold the law on what time they can sell alcohol and to which age group they can sell alcohol and cigarettes. It is now a specific criminal offence to assault, threaten, abuse or obstruct them.

Daniel Johnson said: “I’m delighted to see my Protection of Workers Act come into law on Tuesday. It represents a victory for retail, its staff and customers.

“Throughout this process I heard many horrific stories of abuse and spoke with many workers on the front line every day.

“This Bill will ensure retail workers have the same protections as those in every other sector and enables the police to properly act.

“I will continue the fight to ensure my Bill is properly enforced.”

The NFRN said it will continue to campaign for effective legal protection for shop workers across the rest of the UK in the face of rising levels of abuse and violence.

NFRN national president Stuart Reddish added: “I get calls from hundreds of retailers who are crime victims. The impact of retail crime can be devastating and long-lasting – not just in terms of physical injuries but on anxiety and stress too.

“The government has to act and tackle retail crime once and for all so everyone working in shops have confidence in their workplace and that should a crime incident occur they will receive the response and protection from the government, police and justice system that they deserve.”