Swansea dad, 62, told he can't buy booze as son helps carry it
AT 62 you might expect the days of someone refusing to serve you alcohol to be just a distant memory.
When you are also almost tee-total, it seems even more unlikely.
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Peter and Gill Sheldon were refused the right to buy alcohol because their teenage son had helped them carry it to the checkout.
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But this is what happened to Peter Sheldon at Morrisons in Morfa.
The reason? His 16- year-old son Jamie helped carry the alcohol to the till.
But Morrisons have said they were only ensuring they abided with the law on selling alcohol.
Mr Sheldon, a dad-of- three from Eastcliff, Southgate, said: "It would seem that either the law is stupid, or Morrisons' interpretation of it is stupid.
"The law is surely intended to protect us from lager louts, not stop law abiding citizens buying Christmas presents."
He added: "It makes you wonder what is happening to this country, you would hope that common sense would prevail."
Mr Sheldon and his wife Gill rarely drink but were buying two boxes of traditional fine ales as gifts for other family members.
"I led the way, picked up the first box and gave it to my son, then picked up the second box.
"Together we walked to the checkout where we were immediately accosted by a young official who asked for my son's ID.
"I explained my wife and I, not my son, were buying the ales as presents for others, but he said it would be against the law for him to let us buy them, as he had seen my son carrying one of the boxes."
He added: "I am not a lawyer, but am sure there is no law which prevents a 16-year-old helping his parents carry heavy shopping. It was obvious he was not attempting to purchase the alcohol himself, therefore I am sure the official was misinterpreting the law, certainly the spirit of the law."
However, Morrisons has maintained that staff in Morfa were merely adhering to the law.
A spokeswoman for the company said: "We take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol very seriously and have procedures in place designed to ensure that we meet all legal requirements.
"We adhere to strict regulations which prohibit stores from selling age restricted products to people who may be under age, or who the stores believe could be buying for a minor or for someone who is unable to prove their age.
"These rules are in place to protect our customers and their families, as well as the general public, who, in most cases, appreciate our vigilance in the sale of age restricted products."
sion.morgan@swwmedia.co.uk
14 Comments
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by GW Sheldon, Cornwall
Monday, January 18 2010, 7:42PM
“Hi,
I'm the 35 yr old son of Dr Pete Sheldon - the renegade outlaw this article is about! Just to say... thanks Dad for the pack of Christmas novelty ales you ended up getting me from another supermarket instead! Pretty ironic that my dad doesn't drink, my younger brother (who helped carry it to the check out) has no interest in alcohol at all, and I'm a triathlete who barely drinks either. Quite funny really that the fuss was over a few small bottles of special ales as a christmas present..... not exactly a 24 pack of Stella and three litres of Vodka! Anyway, cheers for all the effort you ended up going to the get the ales Dad. They were very tasty.”
by Swanseajock, Swansea
Saturday, December 19 2009, 10:39AM
“I can partially understand the reasoning behind the Morrisons worker's post. But what really grips me is that the legal age for buying and consuming alcohol in public is 18. Who has given the supermarkets the powers toi change the law and require customers to be 25?”
by Emma, swansea
Friday, December 18 2009, 12:16PM
“I had a similar incident in Cornwall. I am 19 and went into Tesco with my step sister who is aged 12 but looks even younger. My step dad asked me to purchase 2 bottles of cider for him which I had no problem with. However, the cashier wouldnt serve me because I couldnt prove I wasnt buying alcohol for my step sister- i even offered to ring my step dad and the cashier could speak to him but she refused. she then told me if i had left my step sister in the car, there wouldn't be a problem!! I am used to being ID'd myself and don't mind but the next day my step dad went in with her and bought alcohol and nothing was said. I took it as a personal insult to my age.”
by Cashier At Morrisons Morfa, Swansea
Friday, December 18 2009, 12:25AM
“With Reguards to this post i am a cashier at morrisons and we take Task 25 very serious and it is alot of pressure on me when it comes to serve alcohol. just has many of the comments my job is at risk if i don't follow the law.”
by Jo, Swansea
Thursday, December 17 2009, 6:56PM
“Why didn't he put the items in a trolley, then he wouldn't have had reason for his son to 'help' him carry them to the checkout? I am sure a 62 year old man is capable of pushing a trolley?”
by Johnny, Swansea
Thursday, December 17 2009, 5:04PM
“Sorry Gareth - I just reread your comment and realise the alchohol WAS for you as well. I have no sympathy for people who are only just over the age limit, attempt to buy alcohol without ID and then get annoyed when they are refused. The cashier was 100% right.”
by Johnny, Swansea
Thursday, December 17 2009, 4:57PM
“Phillip, Swansea - Couldn't have said it better myself.
PHIL, West Cross - Frankly, you are very naive if you think this is purely Morrisons fault and could never happen anywhere else.
Gareth - if you were 19 and with your girlfriend buying alcohol, you should have had ID, whether it was for you or not., as it's really not unreasonable for the cashier to assume the alchohol was for you also. The brand of alcohol you were buying is irrelevant. I understand it being annoying but I have no real sympathy for you there.
I don't mind betting that those slating the staff have never worked in an off-license themselves, and therefore do not understand the paranoia we experience due to the apparently constant threat of legal action (ie a criminal record), a fine, and/or dismissal. I can also guarantee that people - not to mention the Evening Post - would be quick to express their 'disgust' in the event that shops fail a trading standards test.
It's all very well people talking about 'common sense' but really, from the cashiers point of view - we just DON'T KNOW for certain what we can and can't do anymore. It really is a case of 'better safe than sorry'. Don't get me started on the verbal abuse we often face just for doing our job - but I would rather 'look silly' than risk facing the wrath of trading standards and the police.
In fact. this reminds me of an incident last New Years Eve when I served a woman in her 60's some Fosters, and she had two teenage boys with her. I strongly suspected the booze was for them (partly because I'd seen the boys alone in the alchol aisle 3 minutes earlier). I let it go, but as she left the store I thought to myself 'hmm, I shouldn't really have done that'. Even my colleague said I'd been naughty! I just wonder, if I had refused the sale if she would have come crying to the newspapers where people who are not in my position could accuse me of being a 'jobsworth'. The truth is, sometimes whatever we do, we risk being wrong.
Thank you to anyone who's read this comment to the end - I think this really is a sensitive subject for many people who serve alchohol as part of their job and these newspaper stories do not help.”
by Gareth, Neath
Thursday, December 17 2009, 2:20PM
“I had this happen to me in Tesco Neath-Abbey. I was with my girlfriend at the time, who was 19, but because she didn't have ID, I couldn't buy my alcohol.
I wouldn't have minded, but I was buying 4 bottles of premium priced German ale. It's not like we were going to Neath-Abbey ruins to get skullered off of it.
I would be sympathetic if I were buying 24 bottles of Hooch and a flagon of bow and we were wearing Burberry hats with shellshuits, riding apollo bikes up to the till.
Surely, someone buying alcohol for a child wouldn't bring the child into the shop in the first place?”
by Gareth, Neath
Thursday, December 17 2009, 2:13PM
“I had this happen to me in Tesco Neath-Abbey. I was with my girlfriend at the time, who was 19, but because she didn't have ID, I couldn't buy my alcohol.
I wouldn't have minded, but I was buying 4 bottles of premium priced German ale. It's not like we were going to Neath-Abbey ruins to get skullered off of it.
I would be sympathetic if I were buying 24 bottles of Hooch and a flagon of bow and we were wearing Burberry hats with shellshuits, riding apollo bikes up to the till.
Surely, someone buying alcohol for a child wouldn't bring the child into the shop in the first place?”
by Gareth, Neath
Thursday, December 17 2009, 1:44PM
“I had this happen to me in Tesco Neath-Abbey. I was with my girlfriend at the time, who was 19, but because she didn't have ID, I couldn't buy my alcohol.
I wouldn't have minded, but I was buying 4 bottles of premium priced German ale. It's not like we were going to Neath-Abbey ruins to get skullered off of it.
I would be sympathetic if I were buying 24 bottles of Hooch and a flagon of bow and we were wearing Burberry hats with shellshuits, riding apollo bikes up to the till.
Surely, someone buying alcohol for a child wouldn't bring the child into the shop in the first place?”