Domino's Pizza forced to apologise over 'Ginger Kid' receipt

The furious parents of a young boy have forced a Midsomer Norton takeaway to apologise after a comment about his appearance left the child in tears. Eleven-year-old Ross Wajtknecht, from Peasedown, near Bath, has spent his young life shrugging off jokes and jibes about the colour of his hair only to find staff at Domino's pizza writing "Ginger Kid" where his name should have been when he ordered a pizza. Ross had visited the fast food outlet during the half-term break to enjoy a pizza with friends after a day out at the skate park.


Photo from SWNS.

He ordered his food giving staff his name but was devastated to find that unlike his friends, who all had their names on the labels, staff had described him using his physical appearance. Ross said: "I was really sad. I get bullied at school about my hair but you don't expect it from an adult. After I read it I stayed down in Norton for a bit and couldn't stop thinking about it, and brought the packet home because I wanted to show my mum."

His mum Yvette said: "He is usually quite a strong and confident lad who doesn't let comments upset him but reading that has really knocked him. At the end of the day what we want to do is raise awareness of how this can upset people in the hope others don't single out the colour of someone's hair like this." Ross's dad Andrew said: "It's totally unacceptable; you couldn't describe someone by the colour of their skin or by calling them fat or thin so why do they think it is OK to call Ross 'The Ginger Kid'?


Photo from SWNS.

"He is just a lad, he shouldn't be having to put up with that sort of thing from adults in a workplace, it's prejudice. They offered him a free pizza but the damage has already been done and he doesn't want to go back in case it happens again." The manager at the Midsomer Norton branch of Domino's, Pat Bennet, said: "It was for the benefit of the person who took the order, it wasn't meant to cause offence. I have apologised to the family over the phone and the member of staff concerned has written an apology to the boy."