Government introduces Bill for Standalone Offence
Today the Government introduced its Bill to create a Standalone Offence of assaulting a retail worker with a maximum sentence of 6 months. The Bill and its progress through Parliament can be found at https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3938
The provision is included in the Crime and Policing Bill which is a long Bill covering many issues, including removing the £200 low value limit for shoplifting; measures on knife sales; and anti-social behaviour.
The BRC has long campaigned for the standalone offence and we want to see it include delivery drivers and will seek to bring them into its coverage. The Government argues that the definition would be too wide - but there is some provision in Scotland for supermarket deliveries and the like.
The Offence is less comprehensive than in Scotland where abuse is also included.
In addition, to combat criminals using the so called £200 low value limit for shoplifting as a means of escaping police action, the limit will be removed. The maximum sentence for shop theft will be 7 years regardless of value.
The overarching factsheet is at Crime and Policing Bill: Overarching factsheet - GOV.UK
The factsheet specifically for retail is at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crime-and-policing-bill-2025-factsheets/crime-and-policing-bill-retail-crime-factsheet
The Bill also contains provisions on the sale and possession of knives, including an increase in the penalty for the sale of a knife to an under-age person to 2 years. The factsheet is at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crime-and-policing-bill-2025-factsheets/crime-and-policing-bill-knife-crime-factsheet
