Tesco has apologised after an innocent shopper was wrongly accused of pinching a can of Coke.
The employee alleged he spotted the man putting the fizzy drink in his shorts pocket.
He confronted him on the shop floor and then said he would show him the CCTV footage.
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He went out the back of the Tesco Express but then backtracked and sheepishly apologised when he returned.
The customer filmed the whole episode on his mobile phone.
The uniformed supermarket said: “So you are putting in your pocket the item”
The shocked man replied: “You saw me? You saw me put it in my pocket?”
The staff member added: “I saw you on the camera.
“Do you want me to bring the footage?”
The shopper said: “Lets see.
“You saw me on the camera, put it in my pocket?
“Yeah that’s what you’re saying
“You are going to look like such an idiot.”
But the adamant Tesco worker continues: “If you have put that in your pocket then I’m gonna call the police.”
The customer – who asked not to be named – said: “I swear to you you are going to regret doing this, 100%”
After a delay he emerged and said: “Sorry for that.”
The angry customer added: “Sorry? That’s what you are going to do, just say sorry?
“Just so casually.
“Be as loud as you was when you were accusing me
“Go around tell everyone you’re f*cking sorry.
“Don’t just come out to me quietly and say sorry like a coward.”
The shopper said he had complained to Tesco and got offered a £20 voucher.
But he told Need To Know: “I’m not at all happy with their response.”
The email read: “I am very sorry that this has happened.
“All of our colleagues are given full customer service training and they know how important it is to give great service so this shouldn’t have happened.
“My colleagues in the store take complaints seriously and the store manager will address your complaint with the colleague in the video concerned.
“Performance conversations with our colleagues are confidential so I’m unable to let you know the outcome, but I can assure you that the matter will be dealt with.
“I have requested that you are sent a £20 digital money card that you can use in any store for up to five years, to say sorry for this incident.”
It happened last Tuesday (23 Jul) at a Tesco in east London.
Local Marcus Ryan said: “Shows you can be assertive without going crazy or anything.
“Well handled.”
Another added: “The thing is, how he reacted after just ruins it.
“Could’ve been humble. He had the victory.”
A third said: “You would think the can of Coke was coming out of his pay cheque.”
A Tesco spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry that this happened.
“We want all Tesco stores to be places where everyone feels welcome, and we are very sorry that, on this occasion, this was not the case.”
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