The retail director of M&S, Thinus Keeve, has called on the police and the UK government to take stronger action against retail crime.

In a blog post on the retailer’s website, Keeve wrote that retail crime is becoming “more brazen, more organised and more aggressive”.

He said that retail crime is a “systemic issue” which is growing and requires a coordinated response between the industry, government and police.

While Keeve pointed to reports that crime is falling, the executive said shop workers are seeing the opposite and are facing abuse and violence on a daily basis in their workplace.

Across the UK, Keeve claimed there were around 5.5 million incidents of shoplifting last year, which excludes the “vast number” that go unreported, and said that more than 1,600 retail workers face violence or abuse every day.

Keeve said retail crime is becoming “routine” across the country due to a lack of consequences.

Highlighting recent incidents which resulted in a security guard being assaulted and another being hospitalised after ammonia was thrown in his face, Keeve said employees are simply trying to do their jobs and serve customers.

He said retailers were taking action by investing “billions” in security, technology and loss prevention to protect workers and stores.

Yet this investment is not enough, Keeve claimed, saying cameras, guards and systems alone cannot prevent the abuse of retail workers.

“Without a government seriously cracking down on crime and a mayor (of London) who prioritises effective policing, we are powerless,” Keeve said. “We need a stronger, faster and more consistent police response, using tools that already exist to target repeat offenders and crime hotspots.”

He called for greater transparency on crime so the true scale and impact are understood and can be used to target resources.

Keeve said that retail is a “cornerstone” of the UK economy, which depends on workers and customers feeling safe in stores.

“It’s a clear ask: support our police. Help them show up in our communities when and where we need them,” he added. “Give them the resources they need to tackle crime effectively and ensure they work with retailers to consistently use the tools we’ve developed to share data and help them actively target offenders.”

In February, the British Retail Consortium reported that violence against retail workers fell by one fifth last year, but remained at the second highest rate on record.

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