Apology from supermarket giant after wife of terminally ill man refused entry to Pendle branch of store

A national supermarket has apologised to the wife of a terminally ill man after she was refused entry to one of its stores.
Sainsbury's has apologised to the wife of a terminally ill man who was refused entry to the Colne branch of the store.Sainsbury's has apologised to the wife of a terminally ill man who was refused entry to the Colne branch of the store.
Sainsbury's has apologised to the wife of a terminally ill man who was refused entry to the Colne branch of the store.

Mrs Jeanie Gallery, whose husband Neil has cancer, was in tears when the incident at the Colne branch of Sainsbury's store last Friday, April 24th.

After arriving at the store at 8am and joining the queue it was 8-20am by the time she got to the entrance where she was told she could not go in as that time slot, between 8am and 9am, was set aside for elderly and disabled customers.

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When Mrs Gallery, who is 52, told staff she had been shopping at the store at that time for the previous four Fridays without any trouble, she was still refused entry and told the allocated time for carers and NHS staff was from 7-30am to 8am Monday to Saturday.

Mrs Gallery who always takes her 56-year-old husband's cancer book, which is a record of his appointments and treatments, said: "The manager told me I could either go home and return at 9am or wait in the store for another 40 minutes.

" I felt so embarrassed and upset because of how I was spoken to as though I was doing something wrong.

"Fortunately other shoppers and staff who know me and my husband were very supportive and sympathetic."

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After waiting until 9am to be allowed into the store Mrs Gallery, who is a full time carer for her husband, said that by that time she was so upset and concerned that she had left her husband at home alone for some time she could hardly concentrate on her shopping.

She said: ""I only go out once a week to get what we need and Neil cannot go out at all so I don't like to leave him for a long time.

"Even though it was upsetting it hasn't put me off shopping there as I live minutes away from the store so it is very convenient for me."

A spokesman for Sainsburys said: " We would like to apologise for any upset the situation may have caused Mrs Gallery who, unfortunately, visited our store during the hour we dedicate to our elderly and vulnerable customers every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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“Mrs Gallery was asked to visit outside of the vulnerable hour so that we could help to keep everyone safe.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused and we would welcome Mrs Gallery to our store in the half an hour slot dedicated to NHS/carers which is between 7.30am and 8am Monday to Saturday.

"She will just need to bring proof of being a carer."

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