Rita Seymour: Great-grandmother, 79, receives nationwide ban from Sainsbury’s and Argos stores and supermarkets: Here’s what led to it

A 79-year-old great-grandmother has appealed to have a nationwide ban from all Sainsbury’s and Argos stores lifted, saying she is “not that sort of person” and that the decision has made grocery shopping much more difficult. According to a report by the Mirror, the woman claims her nearest alternative supermarket is much farther from her home.Rita Seymour, who lives in Hook, Hampshire, said she recently received a notice informing her that she was no longer allowed to enter any Sainsbury’s or Argos store across the UK. The ban reportedly followed what the retailer described as “a number of incidents over time” at her local branch.Speaking to the Mirror, Rita said she hopes the decision can be reconsidered. “I’m not interested in money. But I live five minutes away from the shop, and I would like this ban lifted,” she said.A mother-of-one, grandmother-of-four and great-grandmother-of-two, Rita has lived in Hook since 1981. She said she regularly shopped at the nearby Sainsbury’s once a week, usually spending between £80 and £100. According to her, the next closest supermarket, Tesco, is around a 20-minute journey away, making the ban especially inconvenient.The latest incident reportedly took place earlier this month when Rita attempted to buy a EuroMillions lottery ticket. She claimed she had to ask for the ticket four times before receiving a response from a staff member.Rita alleged that the employee then accused her of being rude and called for a manager, who reportedly claimed she had insulted staff and had been “pinching food.” Recalling the confrontation, Rita told the Mirror, “She went to take a picture of me, and I pushed her camera out of her face.”“I said, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong here, you’re not taking pictures of me’. She was flinging her arms about,” she added. According to the Mirror, Rita continues to deny wrongdoing and insists she is not the type of person the allegations suggest. She is now appealing to have the ban removed so she can once again shop at the supermarket closest to her home.