ANYONE guilty of assaulting a frontline worker will soon face longer sentences after Government gives new powers to judges to crack down on assaults on staff – following campaigning from Shipley MP Philip Davies.

Judges will now be told any assault on custom facing staff must be classed as an aggravating factor – a change from the current situation whereby it is at the judge’s discretion whether to include the factor when sentencing.

Mr Davies said longer sentences were a step in the right direction and hopes it will act as a warning assaults and attacks on the workers will not be tolerated. Mr Davies and his colleagues met with Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to discuss the issue.

Mr Davies said: “The confirmation from Dominic Raab that sentences will be increased is very welcome and one step closer to what I want to see which an offence is in its own right, as is the case for emergency workers. My colleagues and I are committed to fighting for shop workers and showing them assaults will not be tolerated.”

The change will form part of Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently in the Lords and due back before MPs in January.