Shop search leaves widow, 77, in tears

Mary Lowe, from the Old Town, was so distressed by the incident she took a taxi straight home and wept for half an hour.

Mrs Lowe, a widow, was stopped when an item of hair care bought at another shop activated the alarm during busy Saturday morning in the Devonshire Road store, where she had gone to drop in a film.

She was immediately challenged by a security guard, who took her shopping bag from her, tipped it out on the till counter and examined the contents until the offending item had been found.

But, she claims, while queues built up at the check-out, the contents of her bag continued to be examined by the guard, even after the item had been found.

She told the Observer: "I was made to stand by the till where people were queuing and in full view of everyone coming and going through the doors. It seemed like the security man was making a meal of it, as if to use me as an example to others who might be thinking of shoplifting. He was taking such a long time over it.

"As my bag was being emptied each item was placed on the alarm and to my horror one item set it off again.

"I had bought a box containing a hair rinse in another shop and this box had a safety bar under the lid. This bar had not been broken by the girl on the till and, as their alarm was not switched on, I was able to walk out with my purchase. But it had activated the alarm as I left Boots.

"I felt so shocked and humiliated. I realise they have to do this, but couldn't they have taken me to one side instead of making me stand in full view of the queue? I got a taxi home and wept for half an hour. I was so astounded and distressed."

Mrs Lowe said she was desperate to clear her name as, she said, there may have been people in the queue who recognised her and believed her to have been caught shoplifting.

"I have lived here for 20 years and people must know me. A neighbour was in the shop at the time. I had to go back into Boots a few days' later to collect my prints and felt very nervous as though everyone was looking at me. It was awful."

Mrs Lowe also went back to the Western Road store to complain and they said it happened all the time and not to worry. But I do."

Boots' manager later apologised to Mrs Lowe for the incident, but said people were only led away into a private room when it was believed they had a stolen item on them. Most people, she said, would prefer to be checked immediately at the door.

"It was all very traumatic, really," said Mrs Lowe. "I just want to warn other people to be on their guard."

Priscilla Paradise, communications manager for Boots said: "We do apologise to the customer for this unfortunate incident. And we will be looking into individual procedures in the future."