A woman says she was ordered to leave a shop for not wearing a face mask - despite being medically exempt from wearing one.
74-year-old Veronica Anthony visited the Moy Park factory shop in Ashbourne and was left "distressed" after being told to leave for not wearing the mask.
She was, however, wearing a badge she is exempt from wearing a mask because she suffers from emphysema, which is a lung condition that causes serious breathing difficulties, Derbyshire Live reports.
Veronica said: “Alan and I had gone there because he helps me with lifting my shopping and everything because I struggle to do that on my own now.
“I went in before Alan and I was picking up some chicken for my dinner, and nothing was said when I first walked into the shop without my mask.
“But then a guy came to the counter so someone must have asked for a manager and he said that I had to go.
“I tried to explain that I can’t wear a mask or a visor because of my emphysema, and I had my badge around my neck saying that I was exempt from wearing one.
“But he was having none of it and they ushered us out of the shop.”
lan Watts, 59, who accompanied Veronica shopping, said he was "absolutely stunned" as they tried explaining that Veronica was medically exempt but staff were "having none of it".
Alan said: “She was very shocked afterwards because it had caught her off guard.
“We had been before loads of times to this shop but on this occasion, the manager was just insisting that we left.
“I just think that what they did was disgusting. I don’t know what he meant but the guy was saying that it wasn’t him and that these instructions were coming from someone above him.
“She’s quite a strong person and at 74 she takes quite a lot of rumbling but this really has upset her.”
Moy Park has since been in touch with Veronica and said the "miscommunication has been resolved".
Veronica added: “If I could wear a mask then I would want to because I know that if I get covid I will probably die because I’ve been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable.
“So, of course, I want to protect myself but I just cannot breathe properly when I’m wearing a mask for a long period of time.
“It left me really distressed because I don’t like causing problems but I just don’t know what gave them the right to do this.
“I’ve had no problem displaying my badge anywhere else like this before either.
“I don’t want anything out of them, I just wanted to raise it because there are loads of people like me who are exempt from wearing masks and so I don’t want this to happen to other people.”
Veronica now says that Moy Park has been in touch and has offered her a gift voucher, as well as the opportunity to visit the store again to meet the manager and discuss the incident.
A spokesperson for Moy Park said: “We strive to provide our customers with excellent service, and we have been in touch with the customer to investigate.
“We’re happy that this miscommunication has been resolved and we look forward to welcoming Veronica back to our shop again soon.”
