Councillor Nick Mattey is calling on Sutton Council to fund extra security for large supermarkets during Covid-19.
The Beddington North councillor says the council should help provide security instead of spraying "pathetic graffiti" messages outside stores.
He believes that the council's Covid-19 warning messages are not enough to encourage shoppers to wear face masks, and says more security will help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Speaking to Sutton Guardian, Nick Mattey said: "The council is very happy to collect business rates from shops but is not doing anything in return to protect staff and shoppers.
"Take ASDA in Beddington Lane, each year it pays one million pounds a year in business rates to Sutton council.
"Yet it’s staff and customers are being constantly put at risk by a small number of customers who refuse to wear masks or observe social distancing."
He added: "It has been calculated that 20% of the people who have been infected with the coronavirus caught the virus directly from going shopping or as a result of being in contact with someone who was infected as a result of shopping.
"There are thousands of fully licensed security staff who are desperate for work. They do not demand exorbitant wages.
"My suggestion is that the councils offer extra security staff free of charge to any large store that might want them."
A spokesperson for Sutton Council said that the council is not responsible for security but they would be happy to help supermarkets with the recruitment process.
A council spokesperson said: “Throughout the pandemic, council staff have been visiting and advising business premises, including supermarkets, on the precautions they should be taking to ensure that they are as safe as possible.
“There is a regular programme of visiting business premises and about 300 such visits are being carried out every week in the borough.
"All supermarkets have been visited, many on more than one occasion.
“The Government has now clarified that supermarkets are responsible for the management of all COVID requirements on their premises.
"The Council would be happy to help supermarkets identify and recruit local staff.”
Do you work in a supermarket or essential shop? Contact us at monica.charsley@newsquest.co.uk to tell us your experience of working in Covid-19.
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