The retail giant had warned that attacks were becoming "more brazen, more organised and more aggressive" after gangs of youths were filmed raiding one of its stores earlier this month. Cases of staff at rival companies being dismissed, such as Sean Egan at Morrisons, for attempting to confront shoplifters have been widely condemned.

However, Archie Norman, who took the helm at Marks and Spencer in September 2017, claimed yesterday that "good, honest people" are pushed towards shoplifting when self-checkouts prove troublesome to operate. He said: "When normally good, honest people come in and they're buying their shopping and it doesn't scan, and there's nobody manning the checkouts, they're saying: 'It's not my fault and I don't have much time so if I can't get my strawberries through, I'll just put them in my basket.'"

Despite this, M&S has installed hundreds of self-service machines throughout its stores. The retailer confirmed in 2023 that it had rolled out 800 of the tills within just 12 months as part of its £150million cost-cutting ambitions.

Mr Egan's case followed Walker Smith losing his position at Waitrose under comparable circumstances. The decision by one of M&S's closest competitors drew sharp criticism for sending a damning message to law-abiding shoppers.

Mr Norman, who served as MP for Tunbridge Wells between 1997 and 2005, argued that ordinary members of the public are tempted into theft due to the proliferation of technology adopted by major retailers. Self-service machines, he claims, have severed the "human link" between customers and shop staff.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Norman, 71, added: "It does mean you've got to make the technology easier for people to use."

The publication reports that Marks and Spencer spoke out against shoplifting earlier this month following a rampage by youths at its branch in Clapham, south London.

Nevertheless, Mr Norman maintained that self-checkouts were not responsible for the disorder in Clapham. The father of one pointed the finger at uncooperative police forces for failing to tackle more persistent shoplifters, whom he described as "clearing shelves to feed a habit."

Mr Norman said: "When you have gangs of kids coming in and sweeping the shelves, that's a police event and it requires an active police response. When something like that starts to become common it says to everybody, including ordinary citizens, that it's not safe."

Retail chiefs have demanded a greater police presence to combat shop crime, with Sainsbury's chief executive Simon Roberts stating it would be "a really good thing" to see more officers patrolling stores. He added: "It would send a clear message that this issue is serious, that it matters, and that it is a top priority."