ONE in three Asda workers have been attacked at work, including incidents of being stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes by customers, a GMB survey revealed today.

Workers told of being spat at, suffering broken bones, being hit with bottles and receiving death threats against them and their children.

Delivery drivers said they have been chased by people in cars and confronted by naked customers, while store workers have had watermelons and joints of gammon thrown at them.

Three in five respondents to the survey of 1,000 GMB members also said that they had suffered injury or illness at work.

GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “These incidents are horrifying. No-one should have suffer this kind of abuse and violence at work.

“But this situation is only going to get worse as staff hours are slashed, leaving less people in store and those who are there more vulnerable.”

A stand-alone criminal offence of assaulting a retail worker was due to be introduced as part of the Criminal Justice Bill this summer, but it was dropped after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the general election.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer promised at the Usdaw annual conference in April to reverse what he called the Tory “shoplifter’s charter,” a rule that theft of store goods worth less than £200 is not investigated.

An Asda spokesman said all retailers had seen an increase in violence and aggression towards staff over the past few years.

“The safety of our colleagues is a primary concern, which is why we have invested over £30 million during the last three years to upgrade the CCTV systems in stores,” he added.

The supermarket chain hopes that the stand-alone shopworker assault law will be “a priority for any incoming government.”