Livingston man charged under new law just days after it came into force

A West Lothian man has become one of the first to be charged with an offence under a new law designed to protect retail workers from harassment at work.

The 40-year-old was arrested after a disturbance at a shop in Livingston on Saturday, August 28 - just four days after the Protection of Retail Workers (Scot) Act 2021 came into force.

The man will appear at court at a future date.

Daniel Johnson, Scottish Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern, introduced the Act to the Scottish Parliament earlier this year.

He told the Evening News the new law was already showing its value.

“It’s good to see that within days of becoming law, the Protection of Retail Workers act is being used to protect shopworkers and I welcome the fact police Scotland are seizing the opportunity to clamp down on abuse,” he said.

“This law is clearly already showing it’s worth and I look forward to seeing more and more workers protected in the future.”

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “Everyone deserves to come to work without fear of being assaulted, abused or threatened.”

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “Everyone deserves to come to work without fear of being assaulted, abused or threatened.”

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