M&S bosses have spoken out after unrest earlier this week involving one of its stores in Clapham, south London
Clara Margotin, Press Association
10:03, 03 Apr 2026Updated 10:10, 03 Apr 2026
100s of young people descended onto Clapham High Street on Tuesday, March 31, forcing shops and businesses to close early (Image: TikTok)
Staff at Marks & Spencer staff are “worried about coming into work”, a senior boss at the high street giant said as the company urged the Government to do more to tackle retail crime.
M&S bosses have spoken out after unrest earlier this week involving one of its stores in Clapham, south London, which saw hundreds of youths swarm high street shops as part of an online trend.
The retailer claimed its customer-facing staff were being subjected to violence and abuse every day, and in the past week one had been taken to hospital after having ammonia thrown in their face.
In a message on its website, M&S retail director Thinus Keeve criticised the Government and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, writing: “Without a government seriously cracking down on crime and a Mayor that prioritises effective policing we are powerless.”
He has written to Sir Sadiq and M&S chief executive Stuart Machin has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood calling for more to be done.
Adam Hawksbee, head of external affairs at M&S, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday: “Retail crime has always been a challenge, but it does feel in the past weeks and months that the problem is getting worse.”
Asked about the impact of shoplifting on staff, Mr Hawksbee added: “Our colleagues are really resilient and they will always manage these incidents in the best way they can, but it clearly has an impact.
“Sometimes when they’ve seen reports in the media that, you know, retail crime numbers are going down, and they say ‘it really doesn’t feel like that to us.’
“And for them it means, you know, they’re worried about coming into work, they might be nervous about the journey home, and that’s not the position that we want our colleagues to be in.”
In a statement on the company’s website, Mr Keeve said retail crime was “becoming more brazen, more organised and more aggressive”.
He added: “In the past week alone we have had gangs forcing open locked cabinets and stripping shelves, two men brazenly emptying the shelves of steak and walking out, a large group of young people ransacking a store before assaulting a security guard, a colleague headbutted trying to defuse a situation and another hospitalised after having ammonia thrown in their face.
“It is worse in London, but it is happening across the country, and it is becoming routine, because it seems there are no consequences.
“Our colleagues come to work to serve customers, build relationships and take pride in what they do. Instead, too many are dealing with theft, intimidation and verbal and physical abuse as part of their daily reality. That erodes confidence. It impacts wellbeing and it drives people out of the industry.”
Shoplifting offences increased in England and Wales in the year to September, but remained slightly below record levels seen in the 12 months to March 2025, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures available show.
There were 519,381 shoplifting offences in the year to September 2025, up 5% from 492,660 the previous year.
A total of 530,439 offences were recorded in the year to March 2025.
Responding to the ONS data in January, the British Retail Consortium had said the rise in organised retail crime was “particularly concerning”, adding theft is “one of the main triggers for violence and abuse against retail workers”.
The Crime and Policing Bill, once passed, will make assault of a retail worker an offence.
It is also set to bring low-value shoplifting of goods up to a value of £200 into general theft, with a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
The Bill has cleared both the Commons and Lords, but is going through a “tidying up process” between the two Houses of Parliament, which must agree on a final draft for the statute books.
It comes as Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has issued a stern warning to those involved in the recent social media-fuelled unrest in south London, stating that culprits will face the “full force of the law”. In response to fears that the unrest could be repeated, Khan announced a strong policing plan for the upcoming weekend, which includes increased officer numbers in hotspot areas and the use of dispersal orders.
He said: “My message to anyone thinking of going out this weekend to commit crime in our shops or on our high streets is that your actions will have consequences. You will be identified, held responsible and punished accordingly.”
On the ground, local shopkeepers said they are bracing themselves for further trouble during the school holidays, with rumours circulating that another event is planned for this Saturday. Businesses were forced to lock their doors as teenagers ran amok, with food outlets appearing to be the primary targets, including a local McDonald’s that reported food theft.
Sheikh Awais, a worker at the Rooster Spot chicken shop, described how 70 to 80 aggressive children entered the shop during peak evening hours, causing significant disruption to business. Yash, from Olive and Meze, reported witnessing a fight and a massive crowd running toward Sainsbury’s and McDonald’s, prompting him to lock his doors out of fear for his safety. Raz, a barber shop manager, saw the massive crowds running down the street and noted that police were aware the event had been organised on social media.
So far in the Clapham investigation, the Metropolitan Police have arrested six teenage girls. On Tuesday, a 17-year-old and two 13-year-olds were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, following the arrests of two 16-year-old girls and a 15-year-old on Saturday for suspected shoplifting and assault.
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