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Woman Smashes Up Co-Op After Being Told To Follow Coronavirus Rules

Woman Smashes Up Co-Op After Being Told To Follow Coronavirus Rules

Supermarkets and high-street chains have written to the Prime Minister to ask for better protection for their workers

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Footage has emerged that shows a shopper smashing up a few shelves of bottles in a Co-op in Surrey, reportedly just because she was asked to follow the rules in place because of coronavirus.

The woman also chucked eggs and milk around the store before 'punching and kicking' staff at the Co-op in Lingfield, Surrey.

One of the members of staff - who wished to remain anonymous - told Metro how the woman had screamed at her and her colleague before rushing off to the alcohol section and smashing items straight off the shelves, creating a whole heap of mess and damage.

CCTV footage from the incident, which took place in May, has today emerged and shows the woman cracking a load of wine bottles, leaving the floor covered in a huge amount of liquid and glass.

Co-op

The store worker said: "One day in May at the height of lockdown, a female customer became very agitated when we asked her to follow the store's one way system.

"She got very angry and started shouting at me and my colleague who were serving customers from behind the protective till screen.

"She stormed up to the till screen and just flipped out, punching and kicking it before rushing over to the alcohol aisle where she started grabbing bottles of wine, sending them smashing them to the ground.

"Two entire shelves of glass bottles came crashing down. She then picked up a basket containing milk and eggs and threw it across the store."

The 'terrified' worker said that this isn't the first time something like this has happened to her, and called for key workers to be given more support against abuse during this pandemic.

She continued: "Just last year I was actually punched in the face by a female customer because I had refused to serve her alcohol as she was clearly intoxicated.

"I'm still recovering from the mental strain that this has caused me.

"People like me are key workers, we get up every morning to serve the communities in which we live and work. It simply isn't part of our job to be attacked and I desperately hope the government does more to help us."

Co-op

Today, the CEOs of 23 supermarkets and high street shops have written to the Prime Minister calling for better protection for their workers.

The letter said that the key workers faced a scenario where it has become 'part of the job to face this daily torrent of abuse and threats'.

Jo Whitfield, the Chief Executive of Co-op Food, said: "The role played by shop workers in serving their communities is nothing short of amazing, yet they have to contend with unprecedented levels of violence and abuse on a daily basis."

Featured Image Credit: Co-op

Topics: UK News, Shopping, Food And Drink