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MPs are urging the Government to make attacks on shop staff a specific criminal offence amid a “rising tide of violence and abuse” against workers in retail.

The Commons Home Affairs Committee said the “patchwork” of existing legislation was not adequate to address the escalating scale of attacks.

It called for shop workers to be given additional protection in law in the same way as emergency service workers and customs officers.

The committee said it had received evidence of a “shocking rise” in attacks over the past five years, with the Association of Convenience Stores reporting that 89% of staff in local shops had experienced some form of abuse.

Staff were particularly vulnerable as they were responsible for enforcing laws with regard to age-restricted sales and restricted goods, with disputes often a trigger for violence and abuse.

However, in its report the committee said the police response to such attacks failed to match the extent of the problem.

“On far too many occasions retail workers are being left alone to manage dangerous situations which put both their physical and mental well-being at risk,” the report said.

“Other categories of workers, such as emergency workers and customs officers, have rightly been afforded extra protection by the law in recognition of the service they provide to the public and the responsibility placed upon them by Parliament.