There's no doubting that supermarket shopping can be dull at the best of times.
When you have a whole week's shop to buy it can take a lot longer than some people may thing - and you'd be forgiven for getting a little peckish while browsing the aisles.
As a result, some shoppers decide to tuck into a chocolate bar or a milkshake to keep them going while they do their shop - with plans to pay for it when they get to the checkout.
But according to Rachel Adamson, criminal law specialist at Adkirk Law in Southport, this is actually against the law and very few people even realise.
She explained: "Worryingly, new legislation is also catching people out such as the illegal use of wi-fi or the illegal downloading of music or certain documents, which now seem entirely natural to do without asking.
"It is also illegal to send unsolicited mail to another person without their consent under the data protection laws and people have been prosecuted for it."
Rachel added: "Be careful. We should all consider the possible consequences before we engage into some of these things - you could be breaking the law on something important and end up in court. Take advice first if you are in any doubt.”
Next time you plan on cracking open a bar of chocolate while you browse the washing up liquid - think again!
