Stop Shop Abuse: Mum held at knifepoint working the checkout at Woolies on a Sunday morning

Exclusive CCTV footage reveals a mother of three being held at knifepoint during a Sunday morning shift, as retailers demand urgent action on shop worker protection laws.

Shocking new CCTV vision shows a mother-of-three with a knife held to her throat on a Sunday morning checkout shift at a Woolies supermarket.

Meanwhile, politicians drag their heels on protections that will stop this happening.

Retailers are begging state governments and the federal Attorney-General to institute nationally consistent laws and dedicated police task forces after more than 800,000 instances of aggression, abuse and violence on shopworkers in the past year.

The problem is rising rapidly nationally, with violent events up by a third in Victoria and threatening events increasing by more than 10 per cent in NSW in the last year.

Almost two months after The Saturday Telegraph backed retailers with its Stop Shop Abuse campaign, Woolworths has provided footage of Sue* being held up at knifepoint less than a fortnight ago to show why tougher protections are so urgently needed.

Sue (not her real name) was working at a Woolworths store when a masked thug held a knife to her throat. Picture: Supplied

For the safety of its workers Woolworths has asked to anonymise the victim.

The incident happened in Western Australia but Woolworths says it is emblematic of similar attacks in supermarkets across the country.

“I had just started my shift,” Sue said, describing a typical Sunday morning in Woolies all over the country. Families were wheeling trolleys full of groceries up to her register when she was grabbed on the shoulder.

“I thought it was a friend or someone I knew so I didn’t really think ‘danger’,” she said.

“I turned to see who it was and was met with an unfamiliar face in a black ski mask and a knife. A really big knife.

“I looked up at my colleague who had brought over a basket and time froze. I can remember thinking ‘is this actually happening?’ and the look on her face … ‘yep, this is happening’.”

In another horrifying incident, a shopper trying to leave without paying for groceries pulls out a knife when asked to pay. Picture: ABC

Sue immediately went to open the till but could not remember how to do it. “My brain stopped,” she said.

“After what felt like an eternity, I opened the till. As soon as it popped open … he grabbed the money.

“It felt surreal. Like a dream. My body was moving on autopilot.

“As it was happening, I was calm, shocked but calm. As soon as he left, the adrenaline kicked in and the reality of what just happened took over.

“I just couldn’t stop shaking. A colleague got my phone for me and I immediately rang my husband,” she said.

“It was all just a shock. I couldn’t believe that it had happened, let alone to me.”

Sue, who was given counselling and time off, has returned to work feeling a “lot more wary and uncomfortable when someone walks behind me”.

A security worker faces a shopper with a knife in yet another incident. Picture: Supplied

Retailers insist that what happened to Sue could be stopped if politicians in every state and territory brought in Workplace Protection Orders that prevent repeat offenders from entering stores, and dedicated police task forces to hunt them down.

But in NSW last week Police Minister Yasmin Catley ducked calls for a specialist task force despite Premier Chris Minns saying he would consider new measures.

The CEOs of 22 major retailers – including Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, BWS, Bunnnings and Myer – want federal Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to put the new laws at the top of the agenda at the next Standing Council of Attorneys-General meeting.

Woolworths Head of Violence Prevention Sarah Faorlin said violence and aggression against retail workers was escalating and called for “urgent legislative progress now” so teams could feel safe doing their jobs.

“It’s frightening to see the unacceptable level of violence and aggression that our team members are impacted by on a daily basis,” she said.

“We continue to call on state and territory governments to urgently introduce Workplace Protection Orders to keep out the high-harm offenders and help reduce the severity and volume of violence experienced in our stores.”

Yet another supermarket worker has to face a shopper with a large knife. Picture: Supplied

Australian Retailers Association chief executive Chris Rodwell repeated the call for all attorneys general to put in place WPOs, in line with those that had already reduced retail crime in the ACT.

“We’re keen to see retail crime halve by the end of the decade,” he said. “That won’t happen without a co-ordinated approach.

“Right now the trend is going in the wrong direction.”

SDA retail union national secretary Gerard Dwyer said the latest attack demonstrated “there is no time to waste” in introducing WPOs around the country.

“This horrific attack is yet another reminder that in addition to criminalising attacks on frontline retail workers and increasing penalties, we need workplace protection orders as a matter of urgency,” he said.

*Name changed