Iceland's boss has called for laws to allow his supermarkets to share images of violent shoplifters on local WhatsApp groups.

Richard Walker, who oversees around 1,000 UK shops, is among those sounding the alarm over a worrying retail crime epidemic in Britain.

The store group's managing director criticised 'stupid' data protection laws that mean shops cannot share images of individuals shoplifting, taken by their CCTV cameras.

Labour has pledged to crack down on shoplifting and assault of retail workers but businesses are waiting for more details.

'We are fighting with one hand tied behind our backs,' Walker told former MP Gloria de Piero on her Lessons In Leadership podcast.

He said: 'It's actually illegal for us to share images of known offenders on local High Street WhatsApp groups because of data protection laws. I'd like that to change.'

Walker said he was willing to 'take the rap' if any employees got in trouble for sharing images.

He added: 'When these images are on your CCTV, it's absolutely proven. You watch someone pick something up, put them under their coat or whatever they do, and walk out or become aggressive to those store staff if they're stopped.'

He said he wanted to share such pictures with other businesses and High Street groups.

'I've told my colleagues to do it anyway, and I take the rap if there's a problem,' he added.

Knives and hammers are often used in violent attacks against staff, and occur on a weekly basis, he said.

Walker, 44, wants the police to take shoplifting more seriously as retailers have complained officers do not come out when shoplifting crimes are reported.

Data watchdog Information Commissioner's Office advises that images that could be used to prevent crime could be shared only if 'necessary and proportionate'. But sharing images of alleged shoplifters either on social media or physical pictures in shop windows was not likely to be seen as proportionate, it said.

Shoplifting has risen to alarming levels since the pandemic while the cost-of-living crisis has also been blamed.

The number of shoplifting offences recorded by police have swelled 37 per cent to a total of 430,104 in 2023 – the highest since the Office for National Statistics' records started in 2002.