Latest news with #TescoExpress
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
'Superhero' security guard who fought off racist thug who trashed Tesco store was fired and charged with assault after a witness complained
A security guard hailed as a 'superhero' for fending off a racist thug who trashed a Tesco Express was later sacked on the spot and charged with assault - after a bystander complained about his use of force. Wayne Price, 40, was cleared in just 30 minutes after CCTV showed he acted in self-defence - but Worcester BID, who had employed him to tackle crime in the city centre, refused to give him his job back. He now works at a crazy golf course to support his family. CCTV and bodycam footage confirmed Price had acted lawfully as he shoved career criminal Peter Swinbourne - who had previously hurled racist abuse at staff and thrown wet floor signs inside the shop. The incident unfolded in September last year, when staff at the Tesco Express on Foregate Street radioed for help dealing with a drunk man trying to barge his way into the shop. Mr Price arrived to find Swinbourne - known locally as 'Barney' - squaring up to staff at the door. He positioned himself in the entrance to block him and tried to de-escalate the situation. Bodycam footage obtained by MailOnline shows him repeatedly warning Swinbourne to step back before finally pushing him away with an open hand, causing him to stumble backwards and fall over. Despite the clear warnings and Swinbourne's behaviour, a member of the public later complained - and Mr Price says he was told by his employer that he should have let the man back into the store. He was suspended, sacked, and then charged with assault by beating. His SIA licence - which allowed him to work in security - was also suspended, leaving him unable to return to the industry. After pleading not guilty in January, Mr Price spent six months on bail before going on trial earlier this month - where magistrates took just half an hour to find him not guilty. The court heard that Swinbourne had 35 previous convictions for violence and 30 public order offences stretching back nearly three decades. He did not attend the hearing because he was in prison. Mr Price, who has two children, said the experience shattered his confidence and left him wondering whether stepping in had been worth it. Even though I was cleared it's like I've been punished anyway,' he said. 'I never thought it would get to the stage it did - I was put through all this just for doing my job. 'I was banned from working in any security role so I've had to find a job at a crazy golf course and the work is a lot less fulfilling but I have to do it to provide for my family. 'I loved my old job and I was good at it and I had a good relationship with businesses in the city. When I came to court I had so many letters of support from them. 'Being accused of these crimes makes you question yourself but I know I am the sort of person who will step into harm's way to help other people.' Mr Price - whose father was a police detective and whose 21-year-old son is now a serving officer - said being forced out of the industry left him feeling worthless. 'Being accused of these crimes makes you question yourself but I know I am the sort of person who will step into harm's way to help other people.' He has now launched a GoFundMe in a bid to raise £4,000 to start his own security company and return to patrolling Worcester's streets. Since Mr Price was removed, traders say uniformed patrols have disappeared - and shoplifting and antisocial behaviour have spiralled as a result. Rachael Evans, who runs the New England Country Store, said: 'Wayne was very important in helping to prevent crime in Worcester. 'You would often see him patrolling and he would pop in and see if everything was OK. He was helpful and friendly - not at all aggressive. Charging him was ridiculous. Somebody has to stand up to people who are in the wrong.' Gabrielle Bullock, owner of nearby Bygones antiques, added: 'Wayne was a real asset to the city and I'm sad he's no longer doing the job.' Leena Batchelor, who runs Script Haven bookshop, said: 'I think it was a kneejerk reaction to sack him before any verdict had been given. He was always very pleasant - and he should still have his job.' Nigel Mee, who owns the Rohan outdoor clothing franchise in the city, said: 'Wayne has been treated appallingly. BID used his stats to justify the system businesses pay into - he was one of the biggest reasons they got re-elected. 'Now he's gone, I don't see anyone. Shoplifting is getting worse and the man he pushed is a known shoplifter and fighter. He came at Wayne - why the law took his side, I can't understand.' One shop worker, who asked not to be named, said: 'If you can't stop a shoplifter without losing your job, we're in a right pickle. 'That Barney is a horrible bit of work. He and his mates sit on the bench swearing at kids and starting fights. For BID to say Wayne should have let him back into the shop is absurd. What are we even paying for?' Mr Price said one of the hardest moments was having to explain what had happened to his 10-year-old daughter Eva. 'We told her I had a new job at first because sometimes security work can be dangerous,' he said. 'But when the court case started and the local paper ran a piece, her mum said: 'You need to tell her the truth.'' 'She tells people I'm a superhero - and I don't ever want her to stop seeing me that way.' Describing the incident that led to his firing, he said: 'I was called to Tesco Express as he had been inside throwing wet floor signs and racially abusing a staff member 'When I got there he had walked out so I stood at the door and stopped him coming back in. 'All I did was stood my ground and told him repeatedly if he didn't get away from me I would have to push him. When he came at me with a raised fist I pushed him and he stumbled back and hit his head.' At Worcester Magistrates' Court earlier this month, lead Magistrate Harris Markou, said they believed Mr Price was acting in the execution of his duty and had used reasonable and necessary force. 'Mr Swinbourne acted aggressively. The defendant thought he would be physically attacked, he said. Mr Price, of College Street, Worcester, broke down in tears as the not guilty verdict was delivered and hugged partner Jemma Bailey. Worcester CID has been approached for comment.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Are Tesco Shares Still Worth Buying After Its Q1 Update?
Tesco Express, Sheffield (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images) Tesco shares (LON:TSCO) have had a relatively upbeat reaction over the past week on the back of a solid Q1 trading update. As the stock closes in on its 5-year high of 397p, this begs the question of whether the shares are still worth buying. Britain's biggest supermarket had quite a stellar quarter, as group sales increased 3.7% to £17.85 billion. More promisingly, the company saw positive sales growth across all its retail divisions – the first time in more than a year. This strong momentum was primarily driven by Tesco's UK and ROI divisions, where their collective sales rose by 5.4% to £15.39 billion. This was down to the grocer building further momentum in its UK (+0.44% to 28.0%) and ROI (+0.22% to 23.3%) market shares. Particularly, Tesco's premium Finest line did magnificently well in the UK, with sales up an ever-impressive 18.0%, on top of last year's already splendid 12.5%. Kantar UK & ROI Grocery Market Share Central Europe's sales also finally turned positive, as sales grew 3.5% to £997 million. This came after a year that was bogged down by tough comps and unfavourable FX from a strong pound. Still, Q1 sales would've been higher had it not been for the same reasons, which pulled growth down from 5.8%. On the flip side, fuel sales continued to suffer with a 10.5% decrease to £1.47 billion, as petrol prices fell back to 2021 levels. That said, the biggest surprise was Tesco's wholesale division at large, Booker. The arm recorded a 3.5% increment in sales to £2.31 billion, as its core retail (+5.4%) and core catering (+7.3%) sub-divisions outperformed, due to sunny weather encouraging more eating out activity. This managed to offset the continued weakness in tobacco (-9.0%) and Best Food Logistics (-0.8%), although the latter's decline has become less negative. Thus, management reiterated its FY26 guidance, with expectations for EBIT to come in between £2.70 billion and £3.00 billion. While this is still a reduction as compared to last year's £3.13 billion, this is largely seen as a relatively conservative set of guidance by analysts alike. There's some optimism surrounding the possibility that the figure due in 10 months' time could come in higher than the current consensus of £2.93 billion. Having said that, there's an argument to be made that the market pricing in a fall in Tesco's EBIT is relatively reasonable, especially given the current macroeconomic environment. After all, the firm is contending with a massive headwind of costs that include around £430 million of wage hikes via national insurance contributions and higher living wages, food inflation, and elevated price competition from its peers. Nonetheless, the group has some levers to pull to offset some of these cost hikes via its £500m Save to Invest programme. For one, Tesco's market share growth should aid its sales volumes. This should help to keep margins more robust. Additionally, higher-margin items such as Finest food lines and non-food sales like clothing are now making up a bigger portion of customers' baskets. Moreover, while certain commodity prices such as proteins and seed oils are re-inflating in price, overall food prices should disinflate as the year progresses, as other commodities such as wheat, rice, and sugar prices now back down. Plus, much of the recent increases in grocery inflation may be attributable to supermarkets passing on the spikes in labour costs onto consumers. Food Commodities Futures Price Growth The only worry moving forward, though, are the tough comps Tesco faces. With the likes of ASDA and Morrisons lowering their debt pile over the past year, price competition is becoming more intense, as these supermarkets can now afford to invest more in lower prices. As such, Tesco may have to invest in more promotions in order to grow its market share and volumes at the expense of margins, subsequently. An indication of this may have come in last week's update, as net switching gains were not featured for the first time since Tesco's FY23 results. Therefore, this could be a sign that customer attraction is becoming more of a challenge. That being said, CFO Imran Nawaz did mention that quite a substantial number of promotions (around 32.0%) are still being funded by suppliers, which is a positive from a margin standpoint. It's certainly a huge positive to see Tesco managing to grow its market share despite the hotter competition in recent months. The FTSE 100 stalwart's food volume growth, together with its excellent cost controls give reason to believe that margins can even remain steady this year, provided the market continues to price rationally, and that price competition doesn't heat up even more. 'We've got the inflationary pressures we're dealing with for Save to Invest, we're feeling good on. So, the drop through is pretty much as anticipated.' As a matter of fact, the margin story can be supported by two main pillars. The first is the higher margins coming from F&F and other non-food items. With Tesco's toys segment now having moved to a commission model, CEO Ken Murphy has reported better profitability. The second is Booker – with its core catering and core retail businesses which command higher margins – now boasting impressive growth rates. Nevertheless, there's some caution to note. Most prominently, the UK's macroeconomic outlook doesn't look particularly promising. April's GDP showed a larger-than-forecasted contraction (-0.3% vs -0.1%), with the unemployment rate (4.6%) now at its highest rate in almost 4 years. In fact, the board has cited unemployment as the key metric to monitor on how consumer spending may evolve throughout FY26. However, assuming April was a blip due to businesses front-loading imports to avoid President Trump's imminent tariffs, and that the unemployment rate will revert back down after the initial national insurance shock, Tesco looks to be in a prime position to keep pushing ahead with further growth. Either way, Murphy thinks the consumer remains still healthy, backed by the fact that real wage growth is still positive. But from a valuation perspective, Tesco shares look appealing. Provided the UK economy doesn't worsen, FY26 EPS could end up being flat Y/Y, or even come in a tinge higher than FY25's 27.38p, aided by the £1.45 billion worth of share buybacks. On that basis, the stock has a forward P/E of 14.6 – lower than the sector average of 19.0. This leaves room for some upside to complement a decent forward dividend yield of 3.8%. Tesco EPS Results and Consensus
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Newport hairdresser punched woman before stealing her phone
Sinead Sandell, aged 37, attacked Sade Hughes as she walked along the street on Francis Drive in the Pill area of Newport. The defendant was charged with robbery but her guilty pleas to theft and assault were accepted by the prosecution. Sandell, of Stow Hill, Newport has 36 previous convictions for 94 offences on her criminal record. She was jailed for robbery in 2015 and 2019, receiving prison terms of 28 months and 43 months respectively. The assault and theft took place on Sunday, March 30, Matthew Comer, prosecuting, told Newport Crown Court. Sandell grabbed the black Nokia phone from Miss Hughes and hit her to the back of the head in a blow the victim described as 'a weak punch'. Her offences put her in breach of a community order imposed for three shoplifting offences committed at Tesco Express on Cambrian Road in Newport city centre. Kathryn Lane representing Sandell asked the court to impose a short prison sentence as her client was making good progress in custody combating her drug problem. 'The victim said she wasn't hurt at all by the punch which she described as being weak,' her barrister told the court. 'This was an unsophisticated offence – it was stealing to provide a means to an end. 'She tells me she is remorseful for her actions and if she could turn back the clock, she would.' Miss Lane added: 'The defendant has struggled with drug misuse for a substantial period of time. 'She has sought support in custody and has found it and is now drug free. 'The defendant has a new lease of life and intends to engage with the Gwent Drug & Alcohol Service on her release.' Her lawyer revealed that Sandell is a qualified hairdresser who is looking to work in that field in the future. She has been studying maths and English in jail and has a job as a wing cleaner. Judge Richard Kember said the defendant had used 'intimidation and force' to steal the £50 phone from Miss Hughes. Sandell was jailed for 34 weeks and will serve no more than half of that sentence in custody before being released in the community. She was also ordered to pay a statutory victim surcharge.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mr Matta has died
Tributes from across Liverpool and beyond have poured in following the death of a 'real gentleman' who set up a pioneering international food store went on to become a city institution. Over the weekend, an announcement on social media shared the very sad news that Kirpal Matta, who founded legendary shop Matta's with his wife Kanta 60 years ago, had died. In its message, the business said: "Some very sad news that we have to share. Earlier this week, Mr Kirpal Matta passed away. We know this news will come as a shock to many, but we want to reassure all those who came to know Mr Matta that he was surrounded by love and family." READ MORE: Tesco Express closed as police cordon off store READ MORE: Schoolboy, 14, stabbed to death named as murder probe launched Matta's international food store was first set up by Kirpal and Kanta all the way back in 1965 in Toxteth's Granby Street. The couple became famed around the city for their delicious samosas, which are still adored by customers today. Following the Toxteth riots, the family moved the shop to its current home on Bold Street. Last year Matta's celebrated 40 years of delighting its customers with tastes from around the world in this bustling city centre location. Kanta sadly died in 2020, aged 76, following a battle with dementia. Announcing the passing of Kirpal this weekend, the store - now run by the couple's sons Dalip and Deepak - added: "From Granby Street to Bold Street, Mr. and Mrs. Matta came to be known as the original faces of our little shop community. "As much loved by his family as he was by our many wonderful customers over the years, we know many of you will want to share those memories, which is why we were keen to share this post, however sad it may be." The popularity of Kirpal and his store are clear to see for anyone looking at the hundreds of comments that have been posted below the tribute. Many use the same word to describe him - a gentleman. John Smith said: "Very sad news, a real gentleman and a part of Liverpool history. RIP." Samantha Minett added: "We are so sorry for your loss and thinking about you all at this very sad time. Mr Matta was such a beautiful soul and will be so very sadly missed." Carol Fitzpatrick said: "It has been a privilege and an honour to know Mr Matta. With love from our family to yours." Cathy Carey said: "A true legend and gentleman. Sending my condolences to all the Matta family. May he rest in peace." Marie Burns simply added: "He was a great character, always fond memories." In its tribute post to Kirpal, Matta's said the messages of condolence and memories will be shared with the family. It added that the family will be sharing information on the funeral arrangements should friends and customers wish to attend. Information will also be shared about the upcoming ceremony in Liverpool's Sikh temple to commemorate Mr Matta.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Arson probe after tent with dog inside set on fire
An arson investigation has been launched after a tent which had a dog inside of it was set on fire. Police say the dog was rescued unharmed from the tent which was set alight outside Tesco Express on High Street, Cheltenham on 30 March between 03:15 and 03:30 GMT. Fire crews believe the blaze, which was put out by members of the public, was started deliberately. Gloucestershire Police have released a CCTV image of a man who might have witnessed what happened. More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire Passers-by helped extinguish the fire and moved it away from buildings to prevent it spreading, the force said. They believe a man who was seen wearing a white top and dark trousers in new CCTV footage could help them. "He was seen talking to a man who was dressed in dark clothing with his hood up prior to the blaze", police said. They also want to hear from anyone else who might have interacted with the man in dark clothing. They have also urged anyone with any CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage to get in contact. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Gloucestershire Constabulary
