A grandfather who bought his grandson a €40 HMV gift voucher for Christmas took on the store's administrators yesterday – and 'won'.

Eric Nolan, from Tyrellstown, Dublin, strolled out of the HMV on Henry Street with three computer games for his grandson, having failed to persuade shop staff to take the voucher.

Security staff failed to persuade Mr Nolan he was in the wrong before following him some distance down the busy city centre street.

Mr Nolan told the Irish Independent that he was enraged after hearing the high-street chain would not be honouring vouchers. "Somebody has made a conscious decision not to pay out on vouchers and it's despicable," he declared.

During yesterday's visit to the HMV branch, grandson Cian picked out three computer games – Euro Truck Simulator 2, priced at €22.40; The Sims 3 Town Life, at €11.99; and Rail Simulator priced at €28,

The total price for the three items was €62.39, reduced to €46.80 when a 25pc discount was applied. Mr Nolan then made several unsuccessful attempts to get the shop's staff to accept his voucher for the computer games his grandson wanted.

Undeterred, Mr Nolan then marched out the door with the items.

He told the Irish Independent that he intended to post the voucher and the balance of €6.80 to the HMV store so that they would be forced to take it.

"We are a nation of sheep – but I was determined to win this," Mr Nolan said.

"HMV have taken hundreds of thousands of euro from the Irish people this Christmas and we shouldn't put up with it."

Irish Independent