A long-serving Morrisons employee, dismissed after confronting a violent shoplifter, has spoken out against the supermarket giant.

Sean Egan has claimed the company threw him under the bus “for doing the right thing” after being sacked following 29 years of loyal service. The 46 year old became embroiled in a confrontation with career criminal Daniel Kendall, who spat in his face and turned aggressive inside the store in Aldridge, West Midlands.

Kendall, who has more than 100 offences to his name, managed to flee with two bottles of Jack Daniel’s despite Mr Egan’s best efforts in December. Mr Egan, a married father from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, had recognised Kendall as a prolific shoplifter who had previously targeted the same store.

Speaking today, Mr Egan said: “I dedicated my whole life to Morrisons, but they did not even take my 29 years of service into account and just threw me under the bus for standing up for what is right.”

Social media users have praised Mr Egan’s courage and joined calls for Morrisons to reinstate him. He first joined the company at just 17 years of age. Since his dismissal, Mr Egan has been diagnosed with depression.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he continued: “All I tried to do was the right thing by protecting myself, my customers and my company. And for that I’ve been treated worse than a criminal.

“My whole life imploded from the moment Kendal stepped into my store. I have been treated more harshly and unfairly than him because he’s not lost as much as I have. I’ve been deemed to be the bigger criminal than him.”

Kendall, a drug addict from Walsall, West Midlands, was sentenced to 42 weeks in prison over the Morrisons theft. His previous convictions include the theft of chocolate and coffee worth £90 from a Co-op supermarket store in Birmingham – and theft £390 in cash from an ATM in Walsall.

Mr Egan, who began working with the company behind the delicatessen counter while still at school, adhered to Morrisons’ protocol with a composed approach – a “deter-and-not-detain” policy – when initially handling Kendall. Kendall, however, became hostile and spat at the man.

“I’m a proud man and have worked very hard for everything I’ve got. I’ve always paid my way and put a lot of effort into building a beautiful home,” Mr Egan added.

“For the first time in my life, I’m out of work and without money not because I did anything wrong but because I did something right. When they told me I was being sacked, my first thought was how am I going to survive? I’ve got bills to pay, a mortgage, two children and a partner. I feel humiliated and rejected.”

Morrisons stated it prioritises its employees’ “health and safety” at all times, for additional comment regarding the dispute. Nevertheless, a spokesperson for the supermarket said: “We are continuing to take wide-ranging action to address the threat of shoplifting or violence in our stores.

“The health and safety of all colleagues and customers is of paramount importance to Morrisons. 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 in place to protect both the colleague involved and surrounding colleagues and customers, and which seek to de-escalate and calmly control the situation.

“We will not ask colleagues to put themselves at risk. As a responsible employer, our focus is entirely on taking the correct action to ensure health and safety is maintained at all times.”