Sheffield mother 'fuming' after being accused of stealing microwaves from Asda and banned

A Sheffield woman has been left ‘fuming’ after she was accused of trying to steal two microwaves from her local Asda and banned from the store.
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Debbie Parker, 49, from Parson Cross, was shopping at the Asda superstore on Chaucer Road on Friday, July 10 when she was stopped by a security guard and told she was banned from returning for ‘suspected shoplifting’ on several occasions.

Debbie claimed she has been stopped no fewer than 20 times at the store in recent months following an incident at the start of lockdown when she was shopping with her daughter.

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She said: “We went through Scan & Go and I thought she had paid for it and she thought I had paid for it. We went down the escalator and a security guard told us we had not paid, so we took it back up and paid for it.

Debbie said she has been left "fuming" after being banned from the store.Debbie said she has been left "fuming" after being banned from the store.
Debbie said she has been left "fuming" after being banned from the store.

"Last Friday I got stopped again for a quality check and they said I have missed some items. It came to £5 in total. We must have put it in the trolley and my son wasn’t quick enough scanning it.”

Since the first incident, Debbie said there has been two occasions when there has been a discrepancy between her shopping bill and the items in her trolley, which she insisted she settled both times. The mother-of-seven said she spends £100 on shopping when she visits the store weekly.

She added: “I told the security guard to get the manager. If I was shoplifting I want to pay for the goods I’m supposed to have taken.

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Debbie was then told she had “tried to walk out with two microwaves”.

She said: “He called me a liar, my voice level went from zero decibels to 210.

"I started shouting, saying I wanted to see proof but they told me they allowed to show me the CCTV.”

The police were then called and Debbie was escorted out of the store with two of her children and her one-year-old grandson.

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She said: “I haven’t stolen a thing, that’s what’s annoyed me more than anything.

"I’m livid, especially when I spoke to Asda today [Monday, 13 July] who said they have looked through the footage and the ban still stands.”

The church-goer added: “I have never lied. Even if I have to be brutal to your face, if I think you’re ugly I’ll tell you.

"To be called a liar, that really takes the biscuit. And I’m menopausal so that didn’t help.”

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An Asda spokesperson told The Star: "We want to provide a welcoming environment for our customers and asking someone not to visit our stores is always an absolute last resort, however we do not tolerate theft or any form of abuse towards our colleagues or customers and the repeated nature of these incidents make us confident this was the right decision.”