An NHS worker has told how staff at a B&M store humiliated her and left her in tears after back-to-back 12 hour shifts.
Exhausted Robyn Fairfield-Bretherton dropped into the store after work to pick up presents for her two-year-old son's birthday amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But on arrival, she found a long, excessive queue, according the The Echo.
The 28-year-old, who works as a healthcare assistant alongside her mum, showed her NHS ID, but was still told to go and wait at the back of the line.
Her sister says security staff at the Liverpool store 'made a scene' despite those queuing offering up their space.
Stephanie Fairfield, 33, said: “Robyn went to pick up gifts for her son’s birthday.
“Robyn showed her ID to the security staff and was refused entry unless she went to the back of the long excessive queue.
“People in the queue offered to let her in before them and even said she was with them to get her in.
“[They] even offered to give their space up in the queue and go to the back of it for her but no this was also denied.”
Stephanie says the security team went on to ‘make a scene’ and asked Robyn to go to the back.
According to Stephanie, the store manager then approached Robyn, who works at Aintree Hospital, and also asked her to rejoin the queue at the back.
She added: “Robyn explained she had just finished her shift and would like to nip in very quickly to get her baby boy who is two tomorrow a few gifts.
“Then the manager again refused her entry and said you get a 10% discount but you need to queue like everyone else.
“My sister is extremely quiet and shy as it is, she then decided to walk away from the store as she was humiliated and embarrassed and was in floods of tears.”
A spokesperson for B&M told the ECHO: “We have experienced that allowing NHS colleagues to the front of the queue has put them and our colleagues at risk, as other people in the queue don’t realise they’re NHS employees.
“We are unable to offer priority queuing at this time in order to keep our colleagues and customers safe.
“We fully support the work of the NHS and have extended our colleague discount to all NHS employees.”
However, Stephanie said she’s appalled at the manor in which her younger sister was treated.
She said: “Robyn said she would have queued any other day just like she has been doing since the start of this.
“This was the first time she used her badge as she just finished her shift and wanted to get home quickly to her family.
“She was humiliated as she walked away and rang my mum and couldn’t talk for crying.
Upon Robyn’s arrival home, Stephanie wanted to show her appreciation for her sister, despite the difficult day.
During the 8pm clap for NHS workers, Stephanie drove to Robyn’s house and blasted Love Inc’s ‘You’re a Superstar’ out of the car window.
Stephanie said: “She’s my baby sister and I couldn’t be any prouder, she’s a true hero, angel and a superstar in my eyes.”
