A DIY store has launched an investigation into claims that a member of staff facing redundancy verbally attacked a customer.

Mrs Carol Anderton says she was distraught when a male member of staff in Focus Do It All, in Manchester Road, Bolton, demanded she leave the store.

When she refused, she claims the distressed man started shouting at her, threatened her with violence and accused her of taking drugs in front of dozens of other customers.

Distressed

Mrs Anderton, from Lenham Gardens, Breightmet, says she immediately complained to the store manager, but became even more distressed when she was told nothing could be done.

"I was doing my shopping when this guy asked me to leave," she said. "I asked why and then he started getting abusive. He was swearing and said he had just been made redundant. I was genuinely frightened and shaking because at one point he was stood millimetres away from my face."

Mrs Anderton claims the man then called her a "smack head" in front of a number of customers, before he was ushered into a back room by a colleague.

Mrs Anderton has since complained to the company's head office and they have promised to launch an investigation.

"I was absolutely terrified," she added.

Heather Love, head of corporate affairs at Focus Do It All said an internal investigation is being carried out and the complaint received is being taken very seriously.

She said: "As far as we can establish at this stage, staff observed four people enter the store 20 minutes before closing. The customers split up and wandered around the store.

"One of the store team followed the lady in question, Mrs Anderton, to see whether or not she required any assistance. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason he asked her to leave the store."

She added: "He was not following company guidelines and procedures, as store staff should never ask customers to leave and we are in the process of investigating the reasons behind this.

"The customer advisor had recently received a notice of potential redundancy and, although there are redeployment opportunities within the company he was understandably anxious. However, his behaviour was unacceptable and he is very sorry.

"Naturally, Focus Do It All will be contacting Mrs Anderton to discuss this matter in more detail, in a genuine endeavour to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion."

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