BOSSES must meet their “legal and moral” responsibilities to protect vulnerable lone workers from sexual harassment and violent assaults, retail staff demanded today.

Delegates gathered in Blackpool at the annual conference of retail union Usdaw overwhelmingly endorsed a series of motions urging action to protect petrol station staff, home delivery drivers, supermarket trolley collectors and others who work alone, often late at night.

The TUC warned earlier this month that Tory ministers could backtrack on plans to strengthen workplace sexual harassment laws by dropping their proposed worker protection Bill.