A SUPERMARKET which refused to let a man buy alcohol even though he was 26, has said that it was following its own policies on alcohol sales.

Yesterday, the Worcester News reported how mum Jane Curtis Brookes and her disabled son Ashley fell out with staff at Morrisons in Malvern over the sale of alcopops.

She said in Facebook postings that she and her son were told they were barred from the Roman Way store as a result of the row.

But a spokesman for the supermarket chain said that this was definitely not the case.

A statement from the firm said:: “We take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol very seriously and have procedures in place designed to ensure that we meet all legal requirements.

“We use the Challenge 25 Scheme which ensures that if we believe a customer wishing to purchase alcohol is under the age of 25, they will be asked to provide proof of age documentation.

“In this incident, store staff were unable to serve alcohol to Mrs Curtis Brookes as her son did not produce a recognised proof of age document.

"Under current licensing laws, stores are unable to sell an alcoholic product to a customer who they believe could be buying for a minor or for someone who is unable to prove their age.

“The rules are in place to protect our customers and their families, as well as local communities, who in the majority of cases, appreciate our vigilance in the sale of age-restricted products.

“Morrisons is playing its part in reducing the consumption of alcohol among underage people and we would ask for support in doing so.

“Enforcing the law when it comes to proxy purchasing can be difficult, and we would prefer to err on the side of caution.

“We can be clear that Mrs Curtis Brookes is not banned from the store and that this has nothing to do with discrimination.”

Friends of Mrs Curtis Brookes, speaking on Facebook, said that they intended to boycott the store after following her version of events.

They described the reported behaviour as “disgraceful,” “rude and ignorant” and “absolutely awful.”

Her friend Emma Judson said: “People with disabilities are allowed to consume alcohol, and banning someone for trying to explain his mum was paying, is utterly disgusting behaviour.”

Mrs Curtis Brookes subsequently posted a message she received from a Morrison’s employee apologising for the incident and saying: “We do operate a Challenge 25 Policy in all of our stores."