A BRADFORD MP has said introducing an offence for assaulting a shop or frontline worker will go some way to thanking them for their tireless work throughout the pandemic and send out the message violence against them will not be tolerated.

Shipley MP Philip Davies said Government owed it to the hard working staff who have effectively policed Covid rules, to crack down on rising number of assaults against workers.

He has been campaigning for a specific offence to be introduced and is urging Government to act as part of its new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently before Parliament.

Mr Davies said: “This is a really really important moment for this Government and I hope they will show they are on the side of our shopworkers and frontline workers who we owe so much to, particularly over the last 15 months.

“As someone who worked for 12 years in Asda before becoming an MP, I feel very strongly about the issue of violence against shop workers.

“These are very often lowly paid people who are expected by the government to in effect, enforce the law, whether it is on age restrictions on in recent times Covid rules and restrictions and facemask wearing and social distancing.

"The only thanks that many of these people have had for keeping the nation fed during those Covid restrictions and going out to work every day, is see the number of assaults on them double. It is an absolute disgrace.”

Government say it is committed to protecting workers and judges already have the power to hand out longer sentences as if an assault involved a frontline worker as sentencing guidelines stipulate if the victim deals with the public it is classed as an aggravating factor – meaning extra time can be added to a sentence.

"But Mr Davies wants a separate offence, just as is the case for emergency workers.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Davies added: “These (shop and frontline) workers deserve our support they have done so much for us in recent years and the very least they can expect from this House is for them to know we are on their side and we respect the work they have done and we understand the terrible abuse that they get, for very little reward often, at the hands of their customers.

“We should be there to protect them. This will just give the Crown Prosecution Service and the police an extra tool in their armoury to make sure those who assault frontline and shopworkers get brought to justice and to make sure those shop workers and frontline workers get the justice they deserve.

“This House should be on their side and I hope the Government at this late stage will reflect on this.”

Shopworkers union Usdaw have said that the number of assaults on shop workers has doubled since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak.