Ms Savage said she wanted the drinks, which came to a total of £10, for a party she was giving. She told the supervisor who challenged her that the drinks were not for Tara. "She said, 'I'm sorry I don't believe you'," said Ms Savage.
"They took the four items out of my basket my daughter had reached for and allowed me to buy the rest of the alcohol and the rest of the shopping." Mother and daughter then left the store and drove away, but Ms Savage changed her mind and returned. She left Tara in the car and went back into the shop alone to buy the drinks.
"They refused to sell them to me and said, 'We strongly suspect you are buying them for your daughter'. They sent the duty manager who said, 'You are breaking the law'." Ms Savage said she handed the duty manager the right money for the drinks and took them away but she was reported to the police.
"They issued a fixed penalty notice, with the option of going to court, which I will do, but that has a potential fine of £5,000," she said. "But assuming that someone is going to supply alcohol to children just because they have a child with them is ridiculous." A spokeswoman for the Co-operative Group said its staff were trained to be watch out for adults buying alcohol for under 18s.
"On this occasion the customer's daughter, who was known to be under 18, was viewed by staff members choosing alcoholic products from the shelves, therefore, they refused the sale," said a spokeswoman. Kent Police said the officer dealing with the matter tried to find a sensible solution.
With news video.
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