During my usual weekly visit to my local Tesco store in Chorley I was subjected to what can only be described as bullying and intimidation by the thugs they employ as security.
My ordeal began when I decided to buy a new eyeliner , as this is a small pencil like object I put it in the back of the trolly so it would’nt fall out , unlike Asda trolleys Tesco don’t provide them with a small plastic container for such goods so they do fall through the trolley. I went about my business and paid for my shopping £154 which included a CD. On approaching the exit of the store a security guard approached me and asked if I could follow him. Somewhat in a state of coinfusion I asked him why? i was then surrounded by 3 other men who frog marcvhed me and my full trolley to a room at the back of the store, at this point I was trying to think what the problem was, I put it down to the fact I had put the CD in my handbag but I had paid for it and had the secruity tag removed. I was stunned when they asked me if I had paid for all of my goods. i replied ‘of course but if its the CD then I have paid for it ‘ and I showed my till receipt. They then asked me to empty my trolley of the bags, at this point there were 4 men in the room and me!
On looking in the empty trolley I could see the eye pencil wedged in the fold of the trolley at the back, it had rolled down and got stuck and I had missed seeing it when unloading my trolley, it was so stuck it took several attempts to retieve it ! I was then accused of shoplifting an item worth £2.95, by this time a lady had arrived in the room who said she had just come on shift and had been asked to sit in, she was nice and I felt a little less intimidated.
At this point I pointed out that this was ridiculous and that any common sense person could see exactly what had happened, I also said that if they had followed me out to my car they would have seen me unload the shopping bags and put the trolley back with the eye pencil in it , it could not be seen easily. They said they ahd been tracking me around the store and that they believed I had stolen the item. At this point I asked to see the CCTV footage to see what evidence they had to suggest this , they would not show me.
The police were called and I was told I was not allowed to contact my husband by my mobile phone, I expalined I knew my rights and they could not insist on this, as it happends there was no mobile signal in the store typical when you need it most!
The police arrived several minutes later and two officers interviewed me ,they were pleasent and professional and could clearly see the chain of events , they said they would ring me later. I was devasted by this and the way I was treated by the thugs they call security at Tesco, I am a local Company Director and a law abiding citisen who would not risk my reputation for an item worth £2.95!, I have never been subjected to such intimidation and bullying and it effected me persoanlly for some time.
Fortunatley, I am an assertive person and stood my ground but I wonder what someone of a more nervous nature would have done under these circumstances.
The head security thug then told me I would be escorted from the store, I refused this and told him I would leave the store on my own , he didnt challenge me. As I was leaving the nice lady who had come to sit in with me put her hand on mine and said ‘sorry love for all of this’ she clearly could see it was a farse.
The police rang me an hour later saying they were not taking it further as it seemed obvious it was a genuine mistake. what a waste of time and energy for the police and me not to mention the upset it caused to me personally. They said I eas ‘banned’ from the store I told them ‘dont worry I wont set foot in another tesco store again ‘ I soent over £2500 witht them last year their loss is Morrisons gain, much better prices and quality anyway.
