A Freedom of Information request shows more than 200 violent incidents at Britain’s two biggest High Street chains, JD Sports and Sports Direct, in the last year
Sports shop workers are regularly suffering attacks from violent thieves, new data shows.
A survey of police forces shows staff at Britain’s two biggest High Street chains, JD Sports and Sports Direct, have fallen victim in hundreds of incidents in the last year. It shows thieves desperate to steal high-value trainers and sports clothing have punched, bitten, and racially abused staff in their stores.
In total, a Freedom of Information request revealed more than 200 violent incidents linked to the two stores last year. They include 144 crimes linked to Sports Direct and 73 linked to JD Sports. The Metropolitan Police recording the highest total, with 55 incidents across the two chains.
However, the figure is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg as 16 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales were unable to provide the data from their computer logs. In a case last year, dad-of-two Jordan Lytollis, 31, of St Helens, was jailed for 27 months at Liverpool Crown Court after a sports shop theft spree ended with him threatening staff with a metal bar.
He admitted affray, criminal damage and ten thefts after targeting JD Sports and Footasylum stores across Merseyside and Greater Manchester, and was banned from every JD Sports, Footasylum and Blacks store in the UK for four years.
In another case, prolific offender Corey Pountney, 34, of Chippenham, was jailed for 28 months at Salisbury Crown Court for assaulting a staff member after being challenged over stolen goods, and was later found with Class A drugs and a demagnetiser. He admitted robbery, possession of drugs, going equipped and theft offences, and was also handed a five-year restraining order against the victim.
In Cornwall, shoplifters attacked a staff member leaving them with a broken nose and two chipped teeth. In Bedfordshire, one worker was allegedly pulled down by the hair during a theft of £800 worth of clothing, causing hair loss and suspected concussion. And in Norfolk, police were called to a case where a staff member stepped in as a thief put some sliders into their bag before being punched and bitten by the suspect, leaving them with a cut lip.
Joanne Thomas, Usdaw general secretary said: “Retail crime is in no way victimless, with two-thirds of attacks on retail staff being triggered by theft or armed robbery. Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers.
“No-one should feel afraid to go to work, but our evidence shows that nearly four in five of our members working in retail are being abused, threatened and assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community.”
Earlier this year, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium said “fear” has become part of the job for too many shop staff. Sports Direct and JD Sports last night declined to comment.