A CONTROVERSIAL "shopping of the future" idea has come to Bolton. Customers at Safeway, Harwood will by-pass the usual check out system from Monday and be in charge of their own bill.

Customers will have their own telephone-shaped hi-tech scanners which will add up how much they have spent.

But the system has come under fire from the from shop union USDAW.

It claims the scheme is "seriously flawed" because it opens up possibilities of shoplifting and could mean future job losses.

But Safeway bosses at Harwood have hailed the system as the shopping experience of the next century.

The scanner, which reads bar codes on all items, finally prints out an itemised bill and the shopping chore is over - minus the long queues at the check-outs.

But Mr Barry Allen, USDAW spokesman, said: "Our attitude is that the British public will not accept this way of shopping. The whole system has umpteen problems not to mention major flaws with problems with theft.

"I don't think that the British public want it and it will cause more problems than it will solve in the short-term.

"It has got severe limitations. Okay, in middle class areas, the system might work but what is to stop shoppers walking out of the superstore without paying?

"And what about mistakes? Mothers are very vulnerable with children putting unscanned items in the trolley. They could easily be stopped outside the store and arrested for shoplifting. What happens then?"

However, Safeway store manager, Dave Roberts, assured the BEN that this was not the case and that the system would speed up the whole shopping process.

Mr Roberts said a computer re-scanning system would provide a safety net for shoplifting.

"But I must stress that this system is being brought in to benefit the shopper who on the whole is very honest," Mr Roberts explained.

He also said staff concerns about job losses had been ironed-out.

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