Great-grandmother Banned from All Sainsbury's and Argos Stores
Rita Seymour, a 79-year-old great-grandmother, has been banned from every Sainsbury's and Argos store in the UK following alleged incidents at her local branch in Hook, Hampshire. She is now fighting to have the ban lifted, arguing that her nearest alternative supermarket, a Tesco, is a 20-minute journey away compared to her five-minute walk to Sainsbury's.
Incident at Hook Store
The ban was imposed after what Sainsbury's described as a 'number of incidents over time.' The most recent incident occurred when Seymour attempted to buy a EuroMillions ticket. She claims she had to request the ticket four times before a staff member acknowledged her. When the staff member finally did, Seymour alleges the employee accused her of being rude and called management, who claimed she had been insulting and 'pinching food.' Seymour said: 'She went to take a picture of me, and I pushed her camera out of her face. I said, I've done nothing wrong here, you're not taking pictures of me. She was flinging her arms about.'
Seymour's Response
Seymour, who has lived in Hook since 1981, says she visits the store weekly, spending between £80 and £100 on groceries. She denies any previous incidents, stating: 'I'm not that sort of person, I never cause trouble, I never do any trouble – they're saying it to get out of everything. I want to clear my name.' She added: 'I'm not interested in money. But, I live five minutes away from the shop, and I would like this ban lifted.'
Sainsbury's Statement
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: 'We want everyone to feel welcome when they shop with us, and our colleagues work hard to create a positive in-store experience. We take any form of abusive and inappropriate behaviour seriously. Following a number of incidents over time, a decision was taken to withdraw this individual's right to shop at our Hook store. This action was not taken lightly, but the safety and well-being of colleagues and customers always come first.'
Legal Context
Supermarkets are privately owned and can refuse service or ban individuals for almost any reason, as long as it does not violate anti-discrimination laws regarding protected characteristics. Common reasons for bans include theft, abusive behaviour, or antisocial conduct.
