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Hundreds of angry customers are expected to join a protest this weekend demanding sacked supermarket boss Sean Egan is reinstated. The mass gathering has been organised for Saturday morning - the busiest shopping day of the week - outside Mr Egan's former store in Aldridge, West Midlands. Angry customers have thrown their support behind the 46-year-old father who was sacked for breaching the firm's health and safety regulations by tackling violent shoplifter Daniel Kendall.

Mr Egan, 46, who had worked for Morrisons for 29 years since school, was devastated when he was dismissed following the incident in December in which career criminal Kendall spat at him whilst trying to flee with a bounty of stolen goods. Despite Kendall, who has over 100 offences to his name, being jailed for 42 weeks, supermarket chiefs axed Mr Egan because he failed to follow the deter don't detain policy. Now Saturday's planned protest from 9am until 12 noon threatens to cost the supermarket chain tens of thousands of pounds in lost revenue as shoppers will be disrupted and discouraged from entering the store.

Mr Egan, from Wolverhampton, who claims company bosses "threw him under the bus" with their decision, is planning to attend the "peaceful protest" as part of a charity run to raise funds for Acorns Children's Hospice.

He said: "The support I've had from the nation is outstanding. I've worked there for a long time. I'm happy that I've been acknowledged by the people I served for so long. It has meant so much to me - I'm indebted to the people of Aldridge."

The Express' Stop The Shoplifters crusade is demanding tougher police action and better protection for frontline staff who are at the forefront of the crime epidemic.

The protest plan comes after Aldridge-Brownhills MP Wendy Morton joined shadow home secretary Chris Philp in writing to Morrisons CEO Rami Baitiéh urging him to reinstate the "diligent and most pleasant" former manager.

She said: "Far from dismissing Sean, most residents in my constituency believe that he is a hero and that Morrisons have completely mishandled this matter."

The Tory MP urged Lebanese-born Mr Baitiéh to "rethink and reinstate Mr Egan, adding: "I believe it is incumbent upon retailers to support staff when taking a stand against criminal activity and not to punish them in such a manner."

The "peaceful" demonstration has been scheduled for Saturday morning, as "Sean did so much for his customers and the community and continuously raised tens of thousands of pounds for different charities", organisers said.

Lucie Dennis, who used to work with Mr Egan and is planning to attend the demonstration, said: "Sean was known for being a fantastic manager at Morrisons. In Aldridge there are so many customers and he would recognise them and greet them. He was a lovely manager to work for; he was patient.

"This poor man has spiralled into a state of despair. He needs a job. Whatever we can do to support him, let's all work together."

Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has also thrown his support behind the former store manager, saying he "sympathised completely" with his plight.

He said: "I'm bewildered by the case. If a store manager feels they are able to intervene and they feel they can do that safely, we'd always want people to do that. We want the public to be part of the fight against crime."

A Morrisons spokesperson declined to comment on individual cases, but insisted that the health and safety of all colleagues and customers was of paramount importance.

They added: "We have very clear guidance, procedures and controls in place to protect our colleagues and customers from the risk of harm, which must be strictly followed.

"These include detailed procedures for handling shoplifting incidents, which are designed to protect both the colleague involved and surrounding colleagues and customers, and which seek to deescalate and calmly control the situation. We will not ask colleagues to put themselves at risk."