Policing minister Chris Philp has affirmed his commitment to tackling retail crime in a letter to the Federation of Independent Retailers (Fed). 

Following a meeting of the All-Party Parliament Group on retail crime, of which the Fed is secretariat, Philp emphasised his goal to keep “retail environments safe by driving down crime in retail settings, including violence and abuse towards shop staff”.

In his letter to the Fed, Philp wrote that the “government is working hard to tackle the issue of retail crime”, adding: “I take the issue of violence and abuse against retail workers seriously and I am clear that any assault on any worker, particularly those providing a service to the public, is unacceptable.”

National president of the Fed, Jason Birks, responded to Philp’s letter, describing it as “encouraging” amid “the growing problem of retail crime”.

“However, actions speak louder than words, and we will keep up the pressure on MPs, police and crime commissioners and the police to do more to eradicate retail crime”, Birks concluded.