Saturday, 27 Apr 2024

Woman refusing to wear face mask kicked out of Sainsbury's by police

A maskless woman filmed as two police officers kicked her out of Sainsbury’s, claiming they had no right to do so.

She had printed out a piece of paper from the government website to back up her claim that she had the right to be in the supermarket without a face covering.

But Sainsbury’s, alongside other shops like Morrison’s and Tesco, has made its policy on masks stricter saying that shoppers would be challenged if they came in without one.

The woman, a self-proclaimed ‘anti-masker’, claimed that she was exempt from wearing a mask and that she didn’t need proof of this.

Heated footage shows her challenging the Kent Police officers over their request for her to show proof of exemption.

Due to coronavirus restrictions, covering faces in retail areas has been mandatory without a specific medical exemption since July.

Footage of the incident yesterday and which was posted on Twitter, shows the shopper repeatedly asking the two officers if they are doctors.

The woman brandishes a piece of paper which she says explains the law on providing proof of exemptions.

The female police officer replies that she doesn’t need to see something she has printed out at home.

The officers then explain the store manager does not want to serve her, before marching her out of the supermarket.

On the way out, the woman says that she is being discriminated against, that the officers are liable of a fine of up to £9,000, and that she will be taking them to court.

The female police officer simply replies that she looks forward to seeing her there.

The woman then asks to record their badge numbers, which the officers calmly agree to, before finally walking away.

The government website says police can take measures if members of the public do not comply with the face covering law without a valid exemption.

However on the same page it also says those with an age, health or disability reason for not wearing a face covering do not ‘routinely need to show any written evidence of this’.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: ‘In line with government guidance, we are asking all customers to wear a face covering and to shop alone when in our stores. We are aware of what happened in the Sainsbury’s Dartford Superstore and are looking in to it.’

A spokesperson for Kent Police said: ‘At 10.55am on Saturday 16 January 2021 Kent Police was called to Sainsburys in Dartford to assist staff, who had asked a man and a woman to leave due to them not wearing a face mask.

‘Officers attended and spoke to the couple, who were then escorted from the shop.

‘No further action will be taken.’

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