Morrison's staffer sacked for tackling shoplifter gets support in demo

A supermarket manager who was sacked from his job of 29 years for challenging a violent shoplifter sees locals rally together to support the dismissed worker. Sean Egan , 46, had worked for the major supermarket since he was just 17 years old but said his life changed after he attempted to stop a repeat shoplifter who was trying to leave the supermarket. The local community has rallied together to support the manager of the Aldridge store, near Walsall, by organising a protest outside Morrisons . The 46-year-old became involved in an altercation with career criminal Daniel Kendall who spat in his face and became aggressive inside the Morrisons shop. Locals supporting the "loyal" manager have set up a fundraiser for the worker and planned a demonstration against his dismissal. Organisers said a peaceful protest would take place outside Morrisons Aldridge between 9am and midday on Saturday, April 25. A protest banner called on the supermarket to: "Do the right thing - reinstate Sean Egan." It added Mr Egan was a "charitable man" who has "supported the community". A disciplinary hearing following the incident with Daniel Kendall determined Mr Egan, from Wolverhampton , would be dismissed because he did not follow the chain's deter-and-not-detain policy. Mr Egan, who started working behind the delicatessen counter while still at school, said he followed Morrisons' protocol with a calm approach initially but Kendall started to spit at the manager. The 46-year-old, speaking to the Daily Mail, said: "All I tried to do was the right thing by protecting myself, my customers and my company. And for that I've been treated worse than a criminal. "My whole life imploded from the moment Kendal stepped into my store. I have been treated more harshly and unfairly than him because he's not lost as much as I have. I've been deemed to be the bigger criminal than him." A GoFundMe page set up for Mr Egan, by local customers of the Aldridge shop, has raised over £12,000 so far. The fundraiser said: "Now, Sean is facing one of the toughest challenges of his life. "After decades of loyal service, he is taking his case to an employment tribunal to challenge what he believes is an unfair and disproportionate outcome. This isn’t just about one moment, it’s about fairness, loyalty, and standing up for what’s right." A spokesperson for Morrisons previously said: "We are continuing to take wide-ranging action to address the threat of shoplifting or violence in our stores. "The health and safety of all colleagues and customers is of paramount importance to Morrisons. We have very clear guidance, procedures and controls in place to protect our colleagues and customers from the risk of harm, which must be strictly followed. "These include detailed procedures for handling shoplifting incidents, which are in place to protect both the colleague involved and surrounding colleagues and customers, and which seek to de-escalate and calmly control the situation. We will not ask colleagues to put themselves at risk."