SHOPPER Julie Reed from Abergavenny was ‘traumatised and humiliated’ when she was wrongly accused of shoplifting at the town’s Tesco Metro store writes PAUL JAMES.

Julie, who just weeks before won a trolley dash competition and donated the £576 haul to the local food bank, was reduced to tears by the ‘demeaning’ ordeal.

And to add insult to injury her wrongful accusers sent her a £15 voucher by way of apology for her troubles.

Julie, who is 51 and disabled, is still haunted by the incident during which, she claimed, she was asked if she had a criminal record and was known to the police.

“I was mortified,” said a distressed Julie who revealed that she had triggered an alarm before leaving the Frogmore Street store after the checkout operator had failed to remove an alarm device on a razor she had bought.

“The whole thing was humiliating and demeaning. I was left traumatised by it all. I was taken to the office upstairs where my bag was emptied and checked with the items ticked off on my receipt. I felt quite ill,” she revealed.

She had been so flustered by the initial accusations from the security man at the exit that she inadvertently gave him a receipt from the same store which she had picked up the day before.

It was only after the bag-check humiliation that she found her current receipt and cleared her good name.

After that staff changed their tune, offering her tea and biscuits, a lift home and a means of leaving the store through a rear exit.

“I refused all offers. I was totally traumatised and in tears at this point. These false accusations were very serious and upsetting. I was treated very badly. It was a rotten start to August,” complained Julie, who lives in Park Crescent.

She came forward with her tale of woe because she wanted others to know how easy it is for an innocent trip to the shops to turn into a nightmare.

“No one should have to go through what I went through. It was just appalling. The £15 voucher afterwards was just as offensive,” she told the Chronicle.

Tesco fired off an immediate apology to her with the customer services author admitting, “I understand how inconvenient this was for you.”

He said, “We aim to provide the best customer experience possible at all times - and it is very disappointing that you were unhappy with the service you received and how you were treated in store.”

He added, “To address your concerns, I have logged this complaint with the store. As a gesture of goodwill I have enclosed a £15 Tesco Moneycard for you with my apologies and best wishes.”

Julie, whose mother died few months ago, said she had no intention of using the card.

A spokesman for Tesco told the Chronicle, “Our colleagues have been in touch with Miss Reed and we apologise for any distress that was caused.”

He added, “The security guard in question was employed through an agency and we have asked them to review their training accordingly, to help ensure the highest standards of customer service.”

• WRONGED…Julie Reed with her £15 ‘sorry’ voucher and the receipt which staff used to tick off items she had paid for.