Supermarket bosses have apologised after a young mum was unable to buy milk for her hungry baby - having underspent her voucher by a penny.
Naomi Bradshaw, 22, went into the Tesco Extra store on Eagle Street in Accrington to buy baby milk for her five-month-old daughter Kemi-Leigh.
She said: “I went in at about ten to five, just before closing, to buy some baby milk with my vouchers.
“The items came to £9.29 and my vouchers came to the value of £9.30.
“I was refused purchase because I didn’t spend to the full value of my tokens.”
The Healthy Start vouchers are given to families with children under four to help them buy milk, fresh fruit and vegetables and baby formula.
Naomi, who lives in Woodnook, said she was left upset and embarrassed by the incident last Sunday, February 8.
She said: “They refused to let me purchase the milk. Nowhere else was open that would accept the vouchers for me to get milk for my hungry baby.
“I then had to put myself in a struggle to borrow money I don’t really have to pay back just to ensure my child had her milk.
“I am appalled by their attitudes, I contacted the Tesco head office and they said it was my fault because I didn’t spend the full value of the vouchers.
“When I spoke to the manager of the store he apologised and said the staff would be given better training. All for the sake of a penny.”
A spokesman for Tesco said: “The terms and conditions of Healthy Start vouchers state products being purchased with them have to total (at a minimum) the value of the voucher – so a customer would need to ‘top up’ if their purchase was under, by adding an apple or banana for example. We have apologised to our customer for any inconvenience caused.”
