SHELL SHOCK
Find out why governor was refused job lot of chocolate eggs to give to his area’s school children
A SUPERMARKET has apologised to a councillor for refusing to allow him to buy 165 Easter eggs to give away to school children.
Aeron Jones had loaded the £1 treats into a trolley at the Morrisons store in Caernarfon, but was told at the checkout he could only buy eight.
The Llais Gwynedd councillor for nearby Llanwnda was then advised to repeatedly return with a different basket containing eight eggs until he’d bought enough.
Cllr Jones, who has been handing out eggs to every pupil at the three primary schools in his ward – Ysgol Rho- sgadfan, Ysgol Rhostryfan and Ysgol Felinwnda – since 2010, said the store told him it was “company policy”.
“I explained what I was doing and giving them free to children, and asked to speak with a manager,” he said.
“The manager said: ‘I can’t deal with you differently or others will ask to do the same’.
“It was madness and ridiculous – I had a £165 order for a shop and they refused.
“She suggested I buy eight, and go round again and buy another eight etcetera until I reached 165. It was fantastic business logic from this shop – ‘I don’t want £165 in one go but will take it £8 at a time’.”
He walked away from his trolley and went to a nearby Tesco store instead where the manager allowed him to buy however many eggs he wanted.
Cllr Jones added: “I never had any trouble previously. Perhaps the shop had not ordered enough eggs.”
A governor at both Ysgol Rhosgadfan and Ysgol Felinwnda, Cllr Jones said he also buys £5 vouchers for children when they leave Ysgol Felinwnda for Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen, Caernarfon, which they can spend on books or equipment.
“I think it’s important that all the children have at least one Easter egg,” he said.
A spokesman for Morrisons said: “We apologise that we couldn’t meet this customer’s request this time but we are doing our best to meet orders for large numbers of Easter eggs from charities and schools.”