Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NOT JUST ANY BAN..
M&S bars great-gran, 85, from shops AND website
MARKS & Spencer has banned an 85-year-old great-gran after accusing her of trying to shoplift a pair of Brazilian knickers. The retailer hit her with a “trespass” notice meaning she can’t enter any of their stores. And the chain revealed it has even banned her from shopping online.
Now OAP Patricia Stewart’s daughter – who worked for M&S for 35 years – has blasted the firm for “violating” her mother. And Mrs Stewart – who says the knickers were a gift from a friend – insisted: “I want an apology.” The ex-bar lady was approached by security staff at her local store in Bexleyheath, South East London, after placing some items in paper bags.
She said she did it for Covid protection and left her shopping, upset at the challenge.
When she walked out of the store staff pursued her, demanding to search her own M&S bag where they found the firm’s tagged knickers. They also claimed she had changed the price on a steak.
Mrs Stewart told them the knickers had lain in her bag for weeks after being given to her. Despite her denials they emailed her a trespass notice.
Her daughter Lisa Banks said: “They made her out like a thief. She’s an 85-year-old lady with a bad heart. They violated her in the shop. I’m ashamed to say I worked for them.”
RIGHTS
Firms have the right to ban anyone from their stores, as long as it is not based on discrimination.
Paul Heron, of the Public Interest Law Centre, said customers had few rights to challenge the decision.
“The law needs to be changed to provide a right of redress,” he said.
Emails from M&S seen by us confirmed Mrs Stewart’s ban included online orders. She has since shopped online at M&S and at the firm’s other stores, but not her local one. She said: “I hate it that I can’t go in. I want to make sure they don’t do this to others.”
M&S would not comment on how trespass notices were enforced. A spokesman said: “We cannot discuss individual cases. Excluding a customer is only done in rare instances.”