A gay couple claim they were asked to leave a Sainsbury’s store for holding hands after a security guard accused them of ‘touching inappropriately’.
32-year-old Thomas Rees said he and his boyfriend Josh have been left ‘shocked’ by the staff member’s alleged actions, saying that at the time it made his ‘blood boil’ reports The Mirror.
Thomas told ITV News:
My boyfriend and I went to our local Sainsbury’s holding hands as we normally do, just general public displays of affection and we didn’t notice anything untoward or weird.
In East London it’s not uncommon but we noticed the security guard staring.
The guard is then alleged to have called the couple over – once they’d paid – asking them to step outside before explaining that a customer had complained.
Thomas said:
My blood boiled. I was shaking and dumbfounded and unable to respond. He kept repeating the customer felt our behaviour was inappropriate.
Since the incident a customer service worker has reportedly offered the couple a £10 gift card…
But Thomas said he wants an apology and has urged Sainsbury’s to ensure all their staff are trained in diversity.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said:
We sincerely apologise to Thomas and Josh. We are an inclusive retailer and employer and do not tolerate discrimination in our stores.
We will take appropriate action once we’ve concluded our investigation with our security contractor.
Let’s hope they do…
