Shop worker shares terror after racial abuse and threats to her children

A shop worker has told how being a victim of abuse by a customer left her "terrified" and "scared to go to work".

Finnola Tzagorakis, from London, said the man had subjected her to "racial remarks" and "even threatened to go after my children".

She was in Parliament to share her story as MPs debated tackling abuse against people in customer facing roles.

The Home Office said tackling retail crime was a priority.

MPS from different parties shared examples of abuse from across the UK in the Westminster Hall debate.

Tzagorakis, who is also an Usdaw trade union representative, watched the debate and spoke to MPs and the BBC afterwards.

She described her firsthand experience of the problem after asking a customer if they would like any help.

"He started shouting at me, he was threatening me, he was swearing," she told the BBC.

"He started saying racial remarks towards me. I started backing off to get away from that environment, then he started following me. He even threatened to go after my children.

"It left my legs shaking. I was terrified, the next day I was scared to go to work. I shouldn't have to feel like that and nor should anyone else."

The debate was led by Chris Evans, Labour MP for Caerphilly, who said he was all too aware of the issue, having previously worked in a bookmakers and at a bank.

The retail sector, Evans said, was "encumbered by appalling levels of aggression, harassment and violence".

"These experiences range from being followed home at night to being knocked unconscious by a shopping basket.

"Those facing such violence are ordinary, hardworking people, often with families at home. They deserve kindness, respect and the guarantee of returning home safe from work", he added.

Jacob Collier, Labour MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, shared the stories of retail workers he had spoken to in his constituency.

"Probably the most horrific story that I've heard when I spoke to those workers, was one female colleague that was doused in liquid and threatened with a lighter," he said.

Adam Dance, Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil, called for more funding for rural police, reporting that one shop in his constituency had experienced over 100 shoplifting incidents a week.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 created a standalone criminal offence for assaulting a retail worker in England and Wales.

Those found guilty can be sent to prison for up to six months and face an unlimited fine.

Evans urged authorities to make use of the law and have a "stronger police presence" in retail parks, high streets and shopping centres.

He also called for the law to be extended to cover other customer facing-roles like rail, hospitality and banking.

Home office minister Sarah Jones, responding for the government, said measures to help included AI tools, more police and new rules stating that all thefts have to be investigated - including those under £200.

She said abuse of shop workers would not be tolerated and the government would "keep working until we tackle it".

On whether the standalone offence on assaulting shop workers should be extended to cover other customer-facing roles, Jones said the legislation had been kept deliberately "narrow" to avoid "ambiguity in the courts".

She added: "If this piece of legislation makes a marked difference, which we hope it will, then of course we need to look at whether it should apply elsewhere."