The past few days have seen riots sweep across various towns and cities in the UK, where many refugees, ethnic minorities, businesses, public buildings, the police, and the media have been targeted for violence and abuse.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) are conscious of the effect that this might have on its members, who may be affected or concerned about being impacted over the coming days. In light of these appalling events, ACS are working to provide help and guidance to retailers and colleagues during this time.

Help for retailers and colleagues is available through crisis support at Grocery Aid, whom we have contacted and are prepared for calls related to these incidents. We are also in discussion with the Home Office about the way the Riot Compensation Act’s provisions can be applied in these incidents, where retailers will be able to claim compensation if they have been impacted by a riot.

In addition, ACS will be feeding in its members’ experiences through the Home Office and other departments so they can be fed into COBRA and other government briefings in the ongoing response. If you have been directly impacted by the riots, please get in contact with [email protected] so the information can be collated and relayed to the government.