A Liverpool Tesco worker found herself at the centre of a Twitter storm after telling a customer not to buy The Sun newspaper.
The uproar started when the anonymous customer, who has since deactivated his Twitter account, contacted Tesco to complain that an unnamed cashier in the Allerton Road store was rude when he bought the paper.
He tweeted: “Girl picked up my paper with her fingernails, clearly didn’t want to handle the offensive item, then said to her colleague on the next till: ‘This shop should ban this paper from being sold here.”
However, his comments sparked outrage amongst other users, who jumped to her defence using the hashtag #LiverpoolTescoGirl.
‘Scouse Bird Problems’ tweeted: “Gwed #LiverpoolTescoGirl- @Tesco should pay for a new set of acrylics.” Anti-Sun campaigners ‘SunMustGoDown’ said that the thing outsiders don’t realise about the debate is that: “The Sun is poisonous in Liverpool.”
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson also joined the debate, posting: “Girl on till in Allerton Tesco, needs to be talked to not disciplined. She speaks for me and most people in this city, don’t sell it.
“Tesco and other stores +shops need to understand how offensive it is to have Sun sold in city and should not sell it. #LiverpoolSunfreezone.”
Tesco said they were unable to comment on whether any disciplinary action would be taken, however they confirmed that the girl would not be sacked despite rumours circulating on social media sites.
Company spokesman Jack Pearson said: “We understand that many people on Merseyside have strong feelings about this paper, but we are here to serve our customers and to ensure they can buy the products they want.”