Tesco barricades ‘non-essential’ winter coats and children’s clothes in Streatham store

Tesco has barred shoppers from buying winter coats and children’s clothes by barricading items deemed ‘non-essential’ at one of its London stores. 

A photo taken in the store, in Streatham, South London, showed metal barricades blocking off the coats and clothes, among other items. 

The scene echoed those seen across Wales last month after the Welsh government ordered supermarkets to only sell goods which they deemed ‘essential’. 

The measures had prompted one man to tear off plastic sheets which were covering ‘non-essential’ goods in a Tesco store in Bangor, while another man ran into a store in Newport wearing only his boxer shorts. 

The photo in the Streatham store was taken by an angry shopper who posted on Twitter. It came after the England last week went back into a national lockdown. 

Tesco has barred shoppers from buying winter coats and children’s clothes by barricading items deemed ‘non-essential’ at one of its London stores. A photo taken in the store, in Streatham, South London, showed metal barricades blocking off the coats and clothes, among other items

The scene echoed those seen across Wales last month after the Welsh government ordered supermarkets to only sell goods which they deemed 'essential'. The measures had prompted one man to tear off plastic sheets which were covering 'non-essential' goods in a Tesco store in Bangor

The scene echoed those seen across Wales last month after the Welsh government ordered supermarkets to only sell goods which they deemed ‘essential’. The measures had prompted one man to tear off plastic sheets which were covering ‘non-essential’ goods in a Tesco store in Bangor

The shopper wrote: ‘Disappointed to see after the uproar of blocking off clothing, toys, homeware etc sections in one of your stores in Wales, you’ve now done this in your Streatham Extra store.

 ‘I can buy booze, but, not a kettle or underwear.’ 

A Tesco spokesman replied on Twitter: ‘In line with new Government guidance in England which requires the closure of separate floors selling non-food items, we have closed the Clothing and General Merchandise departments in our stores that sell these products from a separate mezzanine level.’

The Government’s guidance, released on November 5, says: ‘Where a business has sufficiently distinct parts, and one section provides essential retail and one section provides non-essential retail, the non-essential sections should close to limit interactions between customers and the opportunity for the disease to spread.

‘For example a food shop may stay open, but a homeware section on a separate floor or separate building should close.’

The photo came after the Welsh Government’s similar measures provoked uproar across the country.   

A 28-year-old man was charged with criminal damage and breaching coronavirus regulations after plastic sheets were torn off ‘non-essential’ goods in a Tesco store in Bangor. 

A Tesco spokesman replied on Twitter: 'In line with new Government guidance in England which requires the closure of separate floors selling non-food items, we have closed the Clothing and General Merchandise departments in our stores that sell these products from a separate mezzanine level

A Tesco spokesman replied on Twitter: ‘In line with new Government guidance in England which requires the closure of separate floors selling non-food items, we have closed the Clothing and General Merchandise departments in our stores that sell these products from a separate mezzanine level

A video posted on social media showed the man, who was not wearing a mask, shouting: ‘Since when have clothes been exempt?, rip the f***ers off… kids’ f***ing clothes, it is a disgrace.’

A security staff member approached him and he replied: ‘Since when has clothing not been essential.’

The store worker, who was wearing a face covering, confronted him over an F&F label stall while the cameraman ran away from another employee. 

A day later, a father attempted to shop at a Tesco store in Newport, Gwent, dressed only in his boxer shorts and a face mask.    

He was stopped by security staff as he tried to push his trolley the store.

His furious wife Dawn, 33, filmed him as he tried to access the store, demanding: ‘Clothes are non essential – let him in.’

Dawn told the workers: ‘Clothes are deemed now non-essential. Your stores policy says clothes are non essential.

‘Let him in to buy some clothes.

‘This is beyond a joke. There are children out there growing that need clothes.’

But a security guards says: ‘He’s not appropriately dressed. Go and take it up with the government.’

‘You can’t come in dressed like that.’

Dad Chris Noden, 38

Dad Chris Noden, 38

Chris Noden, 38, was stopped by security staff as he tried to push his trolley into the Tesco store in Newport, south Wales wearing just his boxers and a face mask

When the staff say they won’t let him in, Dawn repeated: ‘So clothes are essential to day-to-day life?’

The worker replied: ‘Of course they are.’

The couple were turned away but Dawn later posted the video online saying: ‘Please note that no lockdown rules were broken, nobody was put at risk, this non essentials list is beyond a joke! Clothes aren’t essential are they Mr Drakefold.’