A 67-year-old grandmother has found herself at the centre of a supermarket scandal after her local Asda accused her of orchestrating a scheme to manipulate reduced price labels.
Jan Rhodes faces a three-year exclusion from the Hall Road branch in Norwich where she has been a regular customer for nearly a decade.
It follows allegations that she systematically swapped yellow discount stickers to secure cheaper groceries.
The pensioner vehemently refutes the accusations, insisting the retail giant has misidentified her as the culprit.
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|The Hall Road branch of Asda in Norwich
"I went in to buy three things and while I was there, the security came up to me and said I wasn't allowed in anymore," Rhodes explained.
"I've never done that. I'm angry and I'm upset."
Store management maintained that they captured evidence of the alleged misconduct through security cameras, leading to the implementation of a ban spanning three years.
The controversy centres particularly around a bacon purchase, which Rhodes's partner Rob Gillies contends was legitimately bought on its expiration date.
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|The shop claimed Rhodes swapped out yellow stickers (file pic)
"She bought it the same day it was expiring. I went back with the bacon to show them," Gillies stated, attempting to demonstrate the transaction's authenticity.
According to the supermarket's allegations, the supposed sticker-switching activities weren't isolated incidents but represented an ongoing pattern of behaviour.
Rhodes, who has frequented the store since its 2015 opening, now finds herself permanently excluded from the premises despite her protestations of innocence.
Her family members have rallied to her defence, challenging the supermarket's version of events.
Her stepdaughter, Leanne Hutchings, visited the store personally to advocate on her stepmother's behalf. "They say she's been doing it for a prolonged period of time," Hutchings revealed, before adding: "I explained saying that this is a case of mistaken identity."
The family disputes not only the sticker-switching allegations but also claims that Rhodes exhibited aggressive behaviour towards staff.
"They also said she's been abusive. She would never be nasty to someone," Hutchings insisted.
Despite these appeals, store management has remained unmoved, maintaining their position that the ban was justified based on their evidence.
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|Asda has defended the choice to ban the grandmother
An Asda spokesman defended the decision, stating: "We ask all customers to treat our colleagues and stores with respect and do not tolerate any form of abuse.
"While banning a customer is always a last resort, this decision was taken due to repeated disruptive and abusive behaviour."
The incident reflects a broader pattern of tensions between elderly shoppers and the supermarket chain.
Earlier this year, Andrew Oliver, 68, received a four-week suspension from an Asda in Sittingbourne after rushing down a closed travelator to reach his unwell wife.
Another case involved Elanor Maxey, 32, who faced a nationwide Asda ban following a dispute about her assistance dog in Bexleyheath, though the company subsequently reversed this decision and apologised.