A Waitrose worker sacked over a scuffle with an alleged Easter egg thief has been offered a new job at rival chain Iceland.

Walker Smith got into a struggle with a man who was putting chocolate into his bag at the store in Clapham, London. Mr Smith says that when the treats smashed on the floor, the shoplifter fled, and he picked up a broken Lindt bunny and “threw it out of frustration”.

Waitrose dismissed Mr Smith for breaking rules that are designed to protect staff from harm. It said: “We refuse to put anyone’s life at risk and that’s why we have policies in place that are very clearly understood and must be strictly followed.”

However, the decision has been criticised by the Conservative Party, while Lord Richard Walker, the executive chairman of Iceland, told him: “You’re welcome to a job with us.”

Last month, a London bus driver lost his job for hitting a thief who stole a passenger’s necklace.