An outraged blind woman has complained to the UK's biggest retailer after being asked to leave a shop because she had a guide dog.

A manager from the newly opened Tesco store in Angel Hill, Sutton, has made a grovelling apology to Lian Brock, 43, following the incident last month after which she felt "disgusted".

Miss Brock, from Carshalton, went into the store with her three-and-a-half-year-old guide dog Penny only to be told dogs were not allowed, despite her Labrador wearing an albuminous harness.

She said: "I went in and had my little basket. I got a couple of bits and this guy walked up to me and asked me to leave. When I asked why he said it was because dogs were not allowed."

In spite of the intimidation, Miss Brock wanted to make a stand and carried on shopping.

She said: "It's truly disgusting that a high street giant like Tesco has such poor training of staff. My dog has more right than any person to be in that shop because without her, I can't function."

Miss Brock has bilateral cone dystrophy and is registered blind, but can see things very close up.

"I don't have these problems in any other shop. When I go into other supermarkets, they sit me down and do my shopping for me."

When she left the store she lodged an official complaint with Tesco’s but did not hear from them for two weeks when the assistant manager turned up on her door step with a bunch of lilies, some After Eights and a bottle of Blossom Hill wine.

Miss Brock added: "It doesn’t make up for making me feel like an idiot and not worthy of the manager."

A Tesco spokesperson said: "Our colleagues are always happy to lend a hand should customers need assistance in our stores so we'd like to apologise to our customer for any distress caused in this instance.

"The store manager has since visited the customer at home to apologise in person and colleagues at the store have received further training to ensure this doesn't happen again."

 

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