Tougher penalties have been put in place for customers who attack staff members following a rise in abuse during the pandemic.
The new rules apply to stores such as supermarkets Asda, Co-op or Iceland or retail shops like H&M and Primark. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act introduced the legislation which was given royal assent on April 28.
The rules state abuse against individuals who serve the public is an aggravated offence. Polling conducted by the ACS showed that more than a third of consumers had witnessed violence and abuse against shopworkers, reports the Mirror.
