The founder of Iceland has thrown his weight behind Nigel Farage's controversial 'two-tier policing' claims, after his own staff member was arrested while a customer who complained of racism walked free.
Sir Malcolm Walker said he formally complained to Scotland Yard following an incident at his Enfield store in August 2024, when a Black customer was spotted opening milk bottles from a fridge. The customer complained about being racially targeted by a store supervisor, and it was the supervisor who ended up handcuffed and held for up to three hours before the matter was dropped.
“Iceland founder Sir Malcolm Walker backs Nigel Farage's 'two-tier policing' claims after his staff were arrested at an Enfield store.”
'There is two-tier policing. It isn't just happening on the streets. We had an incident in a store in Enfield,' Sir Malcolm told the Daily Mail, echoing claims first made by the Reform UK leader after the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.
Nowak was handcuffed as he lay dying in Southampton last month, his killer Vickrum Digwa having claimed he was the victim of racist abuse. Farage responded by demanding 'a change in culture' and 'enough of anti-white prejudice', words that drew sharp criticism from the prime minister.
Sir Malcolm described the police response as 'madness' and 'over-the-top', adding that staff at his store were subjected to abuse weekly, including threats with hypodermic needles or knives, yet most incidents were not reported because 'it doesn't seem to make a difference'.
The Metropolitan Police said officers attended the Enfield store after reports that a member of the public had been subject to 'racially aggravated harassment' by a member of staff. A man in his 20s – the store supervisor – was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and later released on bail while CCTV and witness evidence were examined. Both Sir Malcolm's original complaint and his subsequent appeal to the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime were rejected after investigators found police had acted 'reasonably and proportionately'.
A Met spokesperson said: 'As the public would expect, we police London without fear or favour and strive to serve all communities equally. As society and politics become more polarised, it is vital policing remains impartial, and all operational decisions are grounded in legal principles.'
The row reached Westminster this week, where Sir Keir Starmer rejected Farage's characterisation of policing. The prime minister said he was shocked that the Reform UK leader 'pretends to have respect for Henry's family and then acts in this way', a reference to the wishes of Nowak's relatives, who have urged against politicising the teenager's death.
Sir Malcolm's intervention adds a corporate voice to a debate that shows no sign of cooling, with the Iceland chairman insisting the force's actions at his store were proof of a system that treats people differently depending on their skin colour.