Pete has this story today but I think it is so unbelievable I am going to play the role of oath bolsterer:

A cashier told Dominic Zenden, 45, that he could not leave with the Budweiser bottles in case he gave any to his 15-year-old daughter, Devon. Mr Zenden said that the alcohol was for his own consumption and he would not give any to the teenager but the cashier refused to back down and he left empty-handed from the store in Sprowston, near his home in Norwich.

Mr Zenden, who has worked as a spiritualist medium for 25 years, said: "I was dumbfounded. There was absolutely no indication that my daughter would be drinking the alcohol. It was for me. I fancied a nice cool beer on a warm evening. But the woman told me that they don’t sell alcohol to people who have children with them." A Tesco spokesman said that staff were entitled to ask for proof of age from anyone present when alcohol was being purchased if it was suspected that they might consume it. He added: "We are doing lots of work to try to stop under 18's getting alcohol, and one of the biggest problems has become adults buying for people who are underage."

A few legal notes for you. Suspicion is meaningless if it is not reasonable. Here there seems to have been no reasonable relationship between the refusal of service and the policy. Further, it's nice to think of the wonder that is our human rights legislation and how it provides that

every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status or disability.

So, at least in Ontario, if someone tried to pull this stunt, they could be slapped with a complaint against a tribunal faster than you can say "My, what a good reason to boycott Tesco!" because telling me I can't buy beer because I have a child is a little like saying I can't have that job because I have a disability.

So, will the beer drinking Moms and Dads of England buy elsewhere and make a big stink? Why not? Stamp out this foolishness. However, before they do, one question - if this guys was a spiritualist medium...errr...why didn't he see this coming?