Five arrests after violent attack in London supermarket
23 July 2021, 19:03 | Updated: 23 July 2021, 19:12
Five people have been arrested after a violent incident in a London supermarket.
Police said they were called to Asda on Lavender Hill near Clapham Junction at 10.40pm on Thursday to reports of a group of people involved in a disturbance.
Video footage posted on social media shows a female staff member being kicked in the throat and punched in the face by a man dressed in a Spider-Man costume.
Onlookers can be heard shouting at the attackers, with one woman calling out, "oh my God!".
Another clip shows a brawl in the warehouse area of the shop, involving Asda employees and several people wearing costumes.
A person in a wheelchair is seen to be pulled back from the fight, and the man in the Spider-Man costume can be seen hitting people with what appears to be a single crutch.
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Metropolitan Police officers attended along with London Ambulance Service, and a woman in her 20s was taken to hospital with a minor injury. A further five people were treated at the scene.
Two men aged 37 and 35, an 18-year-old woman and 17-year-old girl have been arrested on suspicion of affray and violent disorder.
A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, affray and violent disorder.
An Asda spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident which occurred at our Clapham Junction store late last night.
"We do not tolerate any form of violence or abuse towards colleagues or customers and we are working closely with the police in their inquiries."
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 7883/22Jul.
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The GMB trade union said its members were among those attacked, and representatives were present at the store on Friday to offer support.
Senior organiser Mark Wilkinson said: "GMB cannot condemn strongly enough the actions of these people and we thank the police for their swift action in arriving to help protect our members from further harm.
"The video footage is absolutely horrifying and we are offering whatever support is necessary to any members who were affected during the incident."
He added: "Sadly, GMB is all too aware that whilst Clapham Junction is an extreme example, attacks on retail workers are on the increase. Parliament needs to act now to toughen the law."
It comes just weeks after MPs urged ministers to make attacks on shop staff a specific criminal offence, amid a "shocking rise" in incidents over the last five years.
