Great-grandmother says ‘I want to clear my name’ after Sainsbury’s UK-wide ban | UK | News
The great-grandmother was banned from entering all Sainsbury’s stores in the UK after the incident while trying to buy a Euromillions ticket and asked to be allowed back in, adding that she “wants to clear her name”. Rita Seymour was told she was not welcome by the chain at her local store in Hook, Hampshire, due to “a series of events that have occurred over time”. But the 79-year-old man claimed he was “not that kind of person” and called for the ban to be lifted because the nearest supermarket was much further away.
He said the Sainsbury’s branch was a five-minute walk from his home, while Tesco was a 20-minute walk away. Ms Seymour, a mother-of-one, mother-of-four and great-grandmother of two, said: “I’m not interested in the money but I live five minutes away from the shop and I’d like to see this ban lifted.”
The retiree, who had lived in Hook since 1981, went to the nearby store once a week to shop. Ms Seymour, who works in customer service, reportedly got into an argument with a staff member while trying to buy a Euromillions ticket during a visit earlier this month.
Ms Seymour claimed she had to ask for a lottery ticket four times before receiving a response from the employee.
According to Ms Seymour, when she answered staff claimed the pensioner had been rude and called management, accusing her of insulting staff and “pinch the food”.
Ms Seymour said: “He went to take my picture and I moved his camera away from his face. I said, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong here, you’re not taking my picture.’ He was waving his arms from side to side.”
When he visited the store again a day later, the pensioner claimed he was prevented from entering and given a letter telling him he was banned from Sainsbury’s and Argos stores nationwide.
A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “We want everyone who shops with us to feel welcome and our colleagues work hard to create a positive experience in store.
“We take any abusive or inappropriate behavior seriously and following a series of incidents over time, the decision has been made to revoke this individual’s right to shop at our Hook store.
“This action is not taken lightly, but the safety and well-being of colleagues and customers always comes first.”
The pensioner, whose husband is disabled, vehemently denied any previous incident.
He said: “I’m not that kind of person, I never cause trouble, I never cause trouble; they say that to get away from everything. I want to clear my name.”
