First arrest under new Scottish law to protect shop workers

A man has been charged for store disturbance under the new Scottish law to better protect shop workers from abuse.

The 40-year-old man was arrested in Livingston after causing a disturbance in a shop on 28 August, just four days after the new Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on 24 August.

Commenting on the first arrest and charge under the new law, Stuart Reddish, NFRN national president, said: “It is great to see that this law is already helping to protect retail workers in Scotland. It is a top priority of the NFRN to ensure that similar laws are put into place across the rest of the UK and Ireland.

“I get calls from retailers every day about their experiences with retail crime,” he continued. “The effects of retail crime are devastating and long lasting. It’s not just the physical harm to retail workers and their stores but also the mental toll that attacks and abuse can lead to. No-one should be attacked for simply doing their job, especially not retail workers.”

NFRN has launched a retail crime survey for its members to complete. The federation said the survey will help to inform their political engagement team as they continue to meet with Police and Crime Commissioners from across England and Wales.