SHOP WORKER DISMISSED AFTER CONFRONTING SUSPECTED BACON THIEF

Eileen Fox was sacked by One Stop Shop after she confronted a suspected shoplifter at the store's Bootle branch on 27 April. The woman grabbed the suspect's coat sleeve as she attempted to leave with packets of bacon. The suspect collided with a metal stand during the incident and fled the store without injury. One Stop dismissed Fox in writing on 12 May following an investigation, citing concerns that she had "put the business at risk".

Fox has worked for One Stop since September 2022 and remained unemployed at the time of reporting. The company stated it had instructed staff "never to risk their own safety" and provided training on incident response procedures. Fox disputed the account in her dismissal letter, which described her as having "followed" and "slammed" the suspect into the metal stand. She maintained she had approached the woman at a shelf, taken hold of her sleeve, and that the suspect had lost balance whilst turning away. Fox said the incident occurred "so quickly" and that she had "acted on instinct". A union representative had suggested a written final warning rather than dismissal.

Fox acknowledged breaching company policy by confronting the shoplifter. She attributed her actions partly to unease amongst staff following a robbery at the store the previous week. Merseyside Police was notified of the incident by the store's duty manager. Fox was suspended the following day and subsequently called to an investigatory meeting with senior management.