Morrisons customer ‘feels like a criminal’ as supermarket introduces ‘Robocop’ cameras

A Morrisons customer says they were left “feeling like a criminal” after the superstore brought in “Robocop” style cameras in bid to stop people stealing expensive booze.

The Safer Pod S1 was brought in to the alcohol aisle by a shopper from Warwickshire. It comes as Britain faces a shoplifting epidemic.

The device is equipped with state-of-the-art HD cameras and 120db siren systems. It is powered by a solar panel battery and can be placed in different parts of the store as a deterrent.

The supermarket giant told The Sun it placed the devices in a “handful” of stores over Christmas as part of a trial. The device was spotted in one store on Monday with a message reading “we’re keeping an eye on things to keep your store safe”.

The camera was spotted by Mark Powlett, of Redditch in Warwickshire, who compared it to the 1987 blockbuster Robocop. Writing on X, he said: “Wow Morrisons how welcoming Robocop feels. I’m typing this as I wait for the one member of staff covering all the self service tills.

“I’m also being filmed there because actually paying staff to work when you can just make customers feel like criminals is lovely isn’t it?”

Paddy Lillis, of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW), says the cameras could help keep shoplifters at bay. He told The Sun: “There is no doubt that cameras do have a deterrent effect and we are supportive of such measures aimed at reducing violence, threats and abuse at work.

“To act as a deterrent to would-be attackers, the public must be fully aware they are in use and there must be a police response where incidents do occur.”

The camera pods are often used on building sites. They provide a 30-metre wide 360 degree detection zone continually scanning for intruders.

It is believed Morrisons is the first supermarket to use the free-standing camera devices. It comes at a time when shoplifting rose by 25% last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

A Morrisons spokesman said: “We launched the Safer Pod 1 initiative in a handful of our stores over the Christmas period and we are currently reviewing the results. The aim of this was to deter crime while also helping to ensure the safety of our colleagues and customers.”

A spokesman for Safer Group added: “We have been working alongside Morrisons to trial the Safer POD S1 over the Christmas period. The device is a cutting-edge, intruder detection system to enhance the safety and security of Morrisons’ stores.

“The Safer POD S1 is designed to act as a deterrent to potential shoplifters by providing an additional layer of safety in high-risk areas such as the alcohol aisle.”