Parents Furious After 13-Year-Old Boy Is Thrown Out Of Grocery Store Due To Rule Banning Kids After 4 PM

Jul 19, 2023

Spending time at the grocery store is one of the best ways to connect with family members, as children often go with their parents to pick their favorite snacks and suggest the food they want to eat for the next few weeks.

However, one couple was disappointed after their son was kicked out of a grocery store due to its unconventional policy.

According to Chronicle Live, Andrew and Hazel Atkinson from England said they will never return to a shopping center called Morrisons after their son was asked to leave the premises.

It all started when 13-year-old Oliver Atkinson went to the store on July 12, 2023. Since he wanted to try his new bike, he went to the location to get some ingredients to make sausage and egg muffins, a recipe that he learned from his school, for the weekend.

Unfortunately, when he was roaming around the store scouting for the things he needed, his mother claimed that Oliver was approached by a security guard and asked to leave.

The 8th grader’s mom was furious and knew that she had to do something about the situation, so she called the supermarket to file a formal complaint.

After being left on hold for over an hour, Hazel became even angrier as a staff member allegedly told her, "I'm sorry, I'm not taking this phone call, have a nice day.”

From that day on, the mom promised herself that she and her family would never visit Morrisons at Killingworth ever again. She also decided to speak out about what happened.

In an interview with the outlet, Hazel said she was frustrated over the incident because her son is 13 years old and just got into cooking at the time.

“He was looking forward to getting all this stuff and they've banned him from going to the shop,” she said.

The main reason why Oliver was removed from the store was because of a rule which prohibits minors ages 18 and below to enter the premises of the supermarket after 4 p.m. if they are not accompanied by an adult.

In Hazel’s defense, her son went to the store around 30 minutes before the said rule took effect.

“We spend about five-or six-hundred pounds (approximately $648.08 to $777.70) in that shop for food, petrol, all sorts. Not anymore,” the mom said.

The mom noted that she will never visit the store again and would look for other alternative grocery stores around her area of Forest Hall.

Later in the interview, Hazel said she understood why the establishment had to put up a rule like that, but she also believed that it was a bit “ageist.” As a suggestion, the mom said, "Ban the kids who are causing trouble by all means.”

Hazel was also worried about other families that could be affected by the rule, especially those kids who “have to step up and support their families.”

On the other hand, Andrew noted that the rule is “disgusting” because it promotes discrimination against people due to their age.

Regarding Morrisons’ comment about the incident, a spokesperson said, as of July 2023, "The safety of our staff and customers is the most important thing for us and so we have temporarily introduced a ban while we look for a long term solution.”

What do you think of the grocery store’s rule that prohibits children under the age of 18 from entering the premises after 4 p.m. in the afternoon? Would you be furious if this happened to your kid? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.