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Shop staff will need greater ­protection when they enforce new knife and acid laws, say MPs.

The number of shop workers injured by angry customers this year has doubled since 2017. And MPs fear it will get even worse.

The Government’s Offensive Weapons Bill will restrict sales of acid and outlaw postal sales of knives – so customers must prove in person they are over 18.

Tomorrow ex-Labour police minister David Hanson will push for a new offence of threatening shop staff carrying £2,500 fines.

Mr Hanson said: “It’s not the police who will enforce these new laws but shopworkers.

(Image: Daily Post Wales)

“And if they are going to be put in the front line then they ought to be protected.”

Police, prison officers and NHS workers are already recognised as special cases and there are stiffer fines and longer sentences for assaults and threats against them.

Each day 265 retail workers face violence just for doing their jobs. On average six of those incidents involve knives and two guns. Two thirds suffer verbal abuse, while others are ­intimidated and threatened.

The British Retail Consortium says an average of 13 shop staff were injured each day this year, double the 2017 rate. MP Alex Norris has introduced a Commons measure to make assaults on retail staff aggravated crimes.

This would cover those ­attacked for refusing to sell cigarettes and alcohol to under 18s, or to drunk customers.

He said: “Retail workers have been entrusted with an important civic responsibility.

“We ask them to police the law on the sale of alcohol, glue, knives and now acid.”