A woman who said she was sacked for challenging a shoplifter at the Merseyside convenience store where she worked has described the decision to dismiss her as “very harsh”.
Eileen Fox, 56, said she confronted the suspected thief – who she described as a regular shoplifter – and grabbed hold of her coat sleeve.
The suspect, who collided with a metal stand, then ran out of the One Stop Shop in Randall Drive, Bootle, on 27 April while carrying packets of bacon. She is not believed to have been injured in the incident.
One Stop told the BBC it asked its colleagues “never to risk their own safety” and provided training “on how best to respond to any incidents”.
Fox was sacked in writing on 12 May after an investigation by One Stop management found she had “put the business at risk”.
The retail worker said she had been with the company since September 2022 and had yet to find another job.
She told the BBC: “It’s very harsh what they’ve done – it’s very upsetting.
“They could have given me a written final warning. In fact, the union rep suggested that, but they said they’ve sacked me because they think I would do it again, which I wouldn’t.”
Fox said the incident had happened “so quickly” and she had “acted on instinct”.
“I’ve never done anything like that before in work or in my private life,” she added.