Retailers want rest of UK to follow Scotland’s example over law protecting shop staff

The British Retail Consortium says retailers are spending hundreds of millions on security staff and other measures such as CCTV and security tags. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Reported assaults on shop staff in Scotland have increased by 50% year on year since Holyrood introduced a standalone offence aimed at protecting retail workers facing escalating levels of violence since the pandemic.

Retail representatives across the rest of the UK are calling for similar protection as the most recent figures compiled for the Guardian by Police Scotland reveal the shocking rates of assaults and threatening or abusive behaviour against retail workers since the legislation came into force in August 2021.