Rita Seymour, a 79-year-old great-grandmother, has been banned from every Sainsbury's and Argos store across the UK following an incident at her local branch in Hook, Hampshire. She is now appealing the ban, stating she wants to clear her name. The ban stems from a dispute that occurred earlier this month when she attempted to purchase a Euromillions lottery ticket.
Incident at Hook Sainsbury's
During a visit to the store, Ms Seymour reportedly became involved in an argument with a staff member. She claimed she had to ask for a lottery ticket four times before receiving a response. When the employee finally answered, she accused Ms Seymour of being rude and called management, who then accused the pensioner of insulting staff and 'pinching food', according to Ms Seymour.
Ms 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.” The next day, when she returned to the store, she was stopped from entering and handed a letter informing her of the nationwide ban from Sainsbury's and Argos.
Impact on daily life
The ban has significantly affected Ms Seymour's routine. She lives a five-minute walk from the Sainsbury's store, whereas the nearest alternative supermarket, Tesco, is a 20-minute walk away. Ms Seymour, a mother of one, grandmother of four, and great-grandmother of two, said: “I’m not interested in money, but I live five minutes away from the shop and I would like this ban lifted.” She has lived in Hook since 1981 and used to visit the store weekly for her shopping.
Sainsbury's response
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, and 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 wellbeing of colleagues and customers always come first.”
Denial of previous incidents
Ms Seymour strongly denied there had ever been 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.” Her husband is disabled, and the ban has added to the family's difficulties.
