Aldi staff have allegedly been told to refuse to serve customers if they do not allow their shopping bags to be searched.

The bargain supermarket has implemented additional security measures to combat the rising shoplifting rates amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.

One of those measures is a bag check policy, which one worker claimed was compulsory, the Grocer Magazine reported.

An Aldi spokesperson said the policy was implemented as a temporary solution in “certain stores” and emphasised the checks were always conducted with the shopper’s approval.

Additionally, they said the checks were limited to the bags used to pack purchased items and did not extend to personal bags or handbags.

But an Aldi staff member, who spoke anonymously, claimed shoppers could be refused service if they did not allow a bag check, although they admitted it had yet to happen in their store.

They said: “We are asking that they allow us to look in the bags to see if they are empty.

“We have been asking to look in the bags to ensure none of our items are there”.

Aldi said the new bag check rule, introduced in May, was not “national policy” and was left to each store’s discretion.

Co-op chief executive Matt Hood said he was “disappointed” that some were justifying shoplifting due to supermarket profiteering accusations.

Last week, the supermarket reported that police were not responding to more than 70% of crimes at its stores.