A DISABLED woman was left furious after she was stopped from buying alcohol because her teenage grandson helped her collect it from a shop.
Jacqueline Adam, 60, of Princess Road, Poulton, struggles to lift and hold heavy items because of compressed nerves and tendonitis in her arms.
Her 16-year-old grandson Liam Boylen regularly cares for his grandmother and offered to help her carry a case of lager at The Co-operative Food store in Poulton’s Teanlowe Centre.
But when they got to the counter Mrs Adam was told she could not buy the beer she needed for a family barbecue.
She said: “They couldn’t serve me because I got my grandson to take it down from a shelf.
“I never normally drink and thought it was ridiculous to go that far when it was only for a barbecue.
“I explained why I had to get help and I think they should have made allowances because I’m disabled.”
Mrs Adam protested to members of staff who refused to back down on their decision,
She was forced to leave the store empty handed and shop elsewhere.
Mrs Adam added: “I was fuming because I was refused alcohol at 60-years-old.
“I felt embarrassed about my disability because I had to keep explaining it to different people.”
Liam added: “I think it’s quite a silly situation.
“I felt embarrassed because all I was trying to do was help my grandma.
“I try to help her as much as I can and because the lager was quite high up I carried it because she already had a lot of shopping.”
But a spokesman for The Co-operative Food said Mrs Adam was not served because her grandson could not prove his age.
He said: “All our stores operate a Challenge 25 policy, where potential purchasers of age-restricted products who appear to be under the age of 25 years are asked to provide proof they are 18 or over.
“This policy also applies to anyone who is with the purchaser at the time.
“If there is any possibility the alcohol could be for consumption by a minor.
“If no proof of age can be provided, the sale must be refused.
“On this occasion the young person accompanying the customer was unable to provide proof of being aged 18 or over, and so the sale was refused.”