An Aldi customer has called for a fellow shopper to be banned from the supermarket for life after claiming she deliberately coughed in his face during a row over social distancing in the queue.
Paul Sexton was packing away his shopping at the Walton-on-the-Naze branch in Essex on Wednesday last week when a woman approached the till to speak to the cashier.
Despite the 48-year-old repeatedly asking her to give him and the cashier some more personal space, Paul claims, the shopper refused.
She then lunged towards him and coughed in his face, he said.
Furious that she could have exposed him and anyone he now associates with to the disease during the coronavirus pandemic, Paul said he was "shocked" by the woman's "vile" actions.
Although a manager was apologetic, Paul claims the woman went on to stick up her middle finger at him through the shop window.
The project manager, from Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, said: "I don't usually shop in Aldi but I picked up a couple of small things as it's a bit more local.
"The cashier was running my things through the scanner and I'm bagging them up.
"This woman came and leaned on the space directly in front of the cashier and tried speaking to him.
"I explained to her that I was being served and said 'give me a bit of space - there's no need to be this close'.
"It wasn't a tit for tat verbal argument - she was just ignoring me and carried on talking to the guy."
Paul claimed he told her to 'step back' because she was encroaching on his space.
He continued: "I then said 'no, you need to step back because you're encroaching on my space and you're right in front of the guy who's trying to serve.'
"Then I got more firm with her and said 'look, stay the f**k away'.
"She was around 5'4". She lunged herself towards me - and coughed in my face.
"Afterwards [the cashier] said 'why on earth did you just cough in his face'."
Paul was 'shocked' and questioned why the woman thought that 'would be ok or a justifiable thing to do' during a pandemic.
He said: "I initially said 'you cannot be serious - you just coughed in my face' and then I told her to get away from me.
"It was louder than how I normally would raise my voice and in an aggressive way because I was so angry.
"To be honest I wanted to hit her - I've never hit a woman in my life and never will but that was the surge of anger that went through me at that time.
"She not only didn't consider my health, but also [the heath of] anyone I'm going to associate with.
"I was shocked - I'm usually fairly calm and like to see myself as well educated and have been giving people space if they come towards me and moving to one side."
He added: "It's vile in normal times to purposely cough or spit at someone like that - but to do it now.
"That woman should now be banned from shopping in that store ever again because that is a vile thing to do."
Paul was escorted out of the supermarket for his response and waited outside to speak to a manager.
One arrived who he said was apologetic.
While he was walking back to his car the woman made a rude hand gesture at him, Paul claimed.
He continued: "I definitely won't be going to Aldi again. I've only been there maybe three or four times and usually there's no problems."
An Aldi spokesperson said: "The overwhelming majority of our customers have been very patient and understanding as we do our best to serve them at this time.
"However, we will not tolerate any threatening or violent behaviour. Anyone who is aggressive in any way to our colleagues will be asked to leave immediately."
