Tesco boss pushes back on Policing Minister’s suggestion that Brits should tackle shoplifters – after Chris Philp urged the public to make citizen’s arrests if they spot thieves

• Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy said staff are trained to stay away from risk

The boss of Tesco has pushed back on the policing minister’s suggestion that Brits should tackle shoplifters.

Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy said staff at the country’s biggest supermarket were trained to not put themselves in any risk when crimes are being committed in stores.

His comments came after policing minister Chris Philp urged members of the public to make citizen’s arrests if they spot thieves when out shopping.

Mr Philp said he would encourage Brits to do citizen’s arrests ‘where it’s safe to do so’.

Speaking at Tory party conference, Mr Philp said: ‘If you do just let people walk in, take stuff and walk out without proper challenge, including potentially a physical challenge, then again it will just escalate.

Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy (pictured) said Tesco staff were trained to not put themselves in any risk when crimes are being committed in stores

Dramatic footage previously captured the moment men were tackled as they ‘tried to make off with electrical goods worth more than £3,000’

‘While I want the faster and better police response, the police can’t be everywhere all the time.’

But yesterday Tesco boss Mr Murphy said his staff were trained to avoid getting into harm’s way.

He has called on the police and other authorities to take crimes like shoplifting and abuse of shop staff more seriously.

Tesco shop staff are told to never put themselves in danger for the sake of stock, including to not run after or chase those fleeing with stolen goods.

While Mr Murphy said he would ‘applaud the sentiment’ of the minister, he would ‘absolutely do not want’ either customers or staff to put themselves in harm’s way.

‘We don’t want anyone getting hurt is the short answer,’ he said.

He added that abuse of retail staff was ‘totally unacceptable’ and admitted shoplifting had become a national problem for ‘civil society’.

Physical attacks on staff at Tesco – which employs around 300,000 people in 2,800 UK stores – are up a third on last year’s levels

READ MORE: Shocking moment Halfords manager is kicked in the head by two shoplifters he tried to stop in horrifying attack which left him unable to work – and claims that the store is now blaming HIM for his injuries

Every frontline Tesco store worker has been offered a body camera following a staggering increase in violent attacks on staff.

Physical attacks on staff at Tesco – which employs around 300,000 people in 2,800 UK stores – are up a third on last year’s levels.

Yesterday Mr Murphy reiterated his urges for the police to work more closely with retailers to both identify and bring perpetrators to justice.

He also wants the rest of the UK to adopt the system in Scotland, where abuse or violence towards shop staff is a specific offence. He believes this would act as a deterrent and reduce assaults.

A rallying cry launched by Mr Murphy for authorities to take the issue of attacks on shop workers more seriously has sparked a national debate.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, Mr Murphy said last month that it was ‘heartbreaking’ to see the number of verbal and physical attacks on staff increasing.

Staff have reported being sworn at, subjected to racial or sexual insults, physically threatened, spat on and subjected to physical violence.

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