Torpoint Co-op Tragedy: Man Dies After Being Restrained During Shop Attack

A disturbance at a Co-op store in Cornwall has ended in tragedy after a man died following a violent incident involving staff, customers, and a fellow shopper who stepped in.

Image: Catch a Thief UK Appeal

The 52-year-old, from Torpoint, allegedly assaulted staff and verbally abused customers at the Fore Street Co-op on Wednesday, 6 August, at around 4:45pm. Police say the man was restrained by another customer during the altercation, but became unresponsive shortly afterwards.

Emergency crews rushed him to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where he died two days later on Saturday.

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that a man in his 40s, from the Millbrook area, has been arrested on suspicion of assault. He has been released on bail until 1 November as investigations continue. Officers are urging anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them, quoting log number 696 of 6 August 2025.

This incident comes amid an unprecedented rise in retail crime. Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reveal violence and abuse towards shop workers hit record levels in 2023/24, with 2,000 incidents every single day – more than four times the number recorded in 2020.

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) general secretary, Paddy Lillis, said many retail staff are “working in fear of the next incident of abuse, threats or violence,” adding that crime is pushing stores to extreme and costly measures just to keep doors open.

The BRC estimates shop thefts cost UK retailers over £2.2 billion last year, with more than 20 million theft-related incidents recorded. Campaigners say urgent action is needed to protect workers and the communities they serve.

Image: Catch a Thief UK