Shoppers call for Morrisons boycott over sacked manager

Daphne Bishop is not happy. "Absolutely disgusting," is her response, when I ask her about the sacking of Morrisons store manager Sean Egan when he tried to stop a shoplifter.

Egan, 46, who had worked at the Aldridge store, near Walsall, for 29 years, was devastated when he was dismissed following the incident in December, after he intervened when a repeat shoplifter became abusive.

Bishop, who lives in the area, added: "What Morrisons have done to an employee after 29 years is disgraceful and I think everyone should boycott it."

The supermarket itself insists its policies on handling shoplifting incidents "must be strictly followed" but the case has sparked outrage with many contacting the BBC to say they would stop shopping with the firm.

Egan, from Wolverhampton, told BBC Radio WM his case happened when the shoplifter became abusive and spat at him during a confrontation over stolen goods.

He said he was later dismissed on the grounds of not following a company deter-and-not-detain policy.

Among the people I spoke to in Aldridge this week, there was little support for Morrisons' decision.

"I've worked in retail all my life," Bishop added.

"What Morrisons have done to an employee after 29 years is disgraceful and I think everyone should boycott it.

"The shoplifter's the one who's caused it all. He's the one who went in there to steal."

According to media reports, a career criminal was convicted over the incident involving Egan as well as other offences, but the BBC has not been able to confirm this with the courts.

Not everyone agreed that the former store manager was completely in the clear. A man waiting for a bus in the town centre said he had seen the story on social media and understood why Morrisons had acted as they did.

"It's a difficult one," he said. "Obviously he broke company policy but in many ways that was his job.

"It's to protect the company so I don't agree with him being sacked for it."

Paul Goodwin said he knew Egan well and was considering shopping elsewhere because of what had happened.

"I want them to get him back because all the customers loved him," the 69-year-old said.

"He's helped me when I've had epileptic seizures in there. He's a nice chap."

Egan is not the first supermarket worker to find himself in such a position.

In April, Waitrose worker Walker Smith was offered a job at Iceland after claiming he was sacked for stopping an Easter Egg thief.

Marks & Spencer, meanwhile, also called on ministers to do more to tackle retail crime.

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones urged police to use all the tools at their disposal to protect workers and punish those responsible.

Back in Aldridge, civil engineer Christian Davis said the case had struck a nerve because people felt a man doing the right thing had been punished.

"It just seems very unfair that somebody doing the right thing should lose his job," the 51-year-old said.

"He's tackled somebody that's doing something that he shouldn't and seems to have had more consequences than them."

Asked whether Morrisons had a duty to keep staff safe and avoid vigilante action, Davis responded: "That's a lot of rubbish really. If you're prepared to let people in to help themselves and take what they want, what kind of message is that giving out?"

A Morrisons spokesperson said the store could not comment on individual cases but correct procedures were followed and "subsequent reporting does not reflect the full facts of the situation".

"The health and safety of all colleagues and customers is of paramount importance to Morrisons," they added.

"We have very clear guidance, procedures and controls in place to protect our colleagues and customers from the risk of harm which must be strictly followed.

"These include detailed procedures for handling shoplifting incidents - which are in place to protect the colleague involved, surrounding colleagues and customers.

"We will not ask colleagues to put themselves at risk where they could suffer unintended consequences."

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