Iceland boss demands pepper spray and batons for guards after Clapham mob chaos

Security guards should be given extra powers to deal with "violent shoplifters" including use of truncheons and pepper spray, according to one supermarket boss.

Lord Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland, spoke out after throngs of youths gathered in large numbers to cause chaos on Clapham High Street earlier this week.

Lord Walker pointed to Spanish laws which allow security guards to carry a limited number of weapons in some circumstances, adding Spanish marshals "don't mess about".

He also lent his backing to M&S retail director Thinus Keeve, who has urged politicians to do more to tackle shoplifting , arguing it is becoming “more brazen, more organised and more aggressive” in stores each day.

Mr Keeve spoke out following this week’s disorder, which saw a group of teenagers hijack an M&S store.

Speaking to The Times , Lord Walker said he agreed with his counterpart and called on the government to give security guards more powers.

He said: "We call it shoplifting, which sounds like a cheeky bit of pilfering, but actually we should just call it out for what it is, which is violent crime.

We all saw the footage of marauding gangs and security guards being beaten up.

The violent nature of it in Clapham is horrific.

"I’ve always argued for more powers for security guards.

You go to Spain and all the security guards have pepper spray and a truncheon, they don’t mess about."
Less than one in five shoplifting offences in England and Wales led to a court summons last year, according to government statistics, which also show the Met Police logged the fewest number of charges (7.3%) last year.

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Figures from charity The Retail Trust show 77% of shopworkers report experiencing abuse in the past year, with almost a quarter physically assaulted and nearly half dealing with abuse each week.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “Strong progress has been made in tackling repeat retail crime offenders since the introduction of the Retail Crime Action Plan and Operation Pegasus in 2024.

“Policing and industry partners are now working more closely than ever, with improved intelligence‑sharing and more effective targeting of prolific shoplifters and organised retail crime groups.

“Our next steps are to deliver a national approach to retail crime reporting.

These steps will ensure technology, intelligence and operational practice continue to advance together supporting a safer, more resilient retail environment for staff, businesses, and communities.”