A pensioner collecting money for charity outside of a Lidl claims staff told him to leave, called the police and told shoppers he was a scammer.
Terry King dresses as Father Christmas every day in December and stands outside supermarkets to raise money for charity.
But the 80-year-old claims his efforts were cut short when three members of staff approached him outside Lidl and accused him of trespassing.
Terry says he explained that he was collecting money for a local hospice, Havens, but they called the police, and three officers attended.
“It made me so sad and really upset me,” Terry, of Hadleigh, Essex, told Need To Know.
“I was standing where the cars come out collecting money.”
He claimed: “Three members of staff came out and said I couldn’t stand there, I said I wasn’t on their property.
“They went back inside, then came back out and said it again.
“I said there’s nothing they could do, so they called the police.
“I said ‘go on then’.
“Three officers turned up, I went home and showed them my documents showing I was raising money for charity, and they said I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
“It’s for charity, it’s disgusting.”
The dad-of-one claims he went home, but decided to go back to try and raise some more funds two days later.
He alleges that this time, staff told shoppers not to donate money as he was a “scammer.”
Terry said: “They had a nasty attitude and said I wouldn’t make any money because they’d tell customers I was a scammer.
“Then they stood by the door and told people I was taking the charity money.
“It was terrible.
“As someone was driving away, they shouted at me, ‘you’re a thief’.”
Last year, the dad-of-one raised £900 for the hospice.
Terry added: “I do it because it’s a nice thing to do and I have time to do it.
“Other shops welcome me, and I won’t stop raising money because I don’t want it to affect Havens.”
It happened on 3 December at the Lidl on London Road, Hadleigh.
Lidl does fundraising through its national charity partner, the NSPCC.
The shop said they asked him for ID, which they claimed he didn’t provide.
They claimed he became aggressive, and police were called.
Lidl declined to comment.
Essex Police have been approached for comment.
