Shop forced to call police after druid refuses to pay because cashier wouldn't ask for the money in WELSH

Former Archdruid Robyn Lewis refused to pay at the Spar in Pwllheli, Wales

Police were called in after a store manager was unable to appease Dr Lewis

An officer had to call for back up because he didn't speak Welsh

Dr Lewis eventually paid for his shopping and left the store



A druid refused to pay for his items at a small shop in a North Wales town because staff refused to tell him the total in Welsh.

Archdruid Dr Robyn Lewis, 83, was at the Spar store in Pwllheli where he wanted workers to speak to him in the native language.

However, the shop's owner said that the situation had been 'completely blown out of proportion'.

Police were called after Dr Lewis - former Archdruid of the Gorsedd, a group that promotes Welsh literature, poetry and music - was given the option of paying £58.62 for his shopping or leave.

Disgruntled: Police were called in after former Archdruid Dr Robin Lewis refused to pay for his shopping at a store in North Wales after the cashier asked him to pay in English

Police called in: The Spar shop in Pwllheli, North Wales. Police officers were called after Dr Lewis refused to pay for his shopping or leave

But the first officer that arrived on the scene could not speak Welsh and so back up had to be called to deal with the situation.

Dr Lewis says that he wanted to be answered 'in my own language, in my own country.'

He said that the cashier spoke to him in Welsh until it came to pay.

He had expected her to say 'pum-deg-wyth punt, chwedeg-dau', but instead she said the figure in English.

Dr Lewis said: 'I asked her to repeat it in Welsh but she said it again in English.



'I told her I'd asked her to repeat it it in Welsh but she said it (in English) for the third time.'

The supermarket manager was called in an attempt to appease Dr Lewis and resolve the situation, but when Dr Lewis refused to pay or leave, police were called in.



A non-Welsh speaking officer then arrived and had to call for back-up.



Dr Lewis said: 'It was sorted out by me being given another Welsh-speaking cashier whom I spoke entirely in Welsh.



'I paid and left. Honour was satisfied.

Scene: Police were called to the Spar store in the small town of Pwllheli, in North West Wales

Native: Dr Robyn Lewis pictured in his former guise as the Archdruid of the Gorsedd, a group which promotes Welsh language literature, poetry and music

'All I wanted was an answer in my own language, in my own country.'



Conrad Davies, who owns the Spar shop, said that the cashier was left upset by the incident.



He said: 'The customer was not happy so we had to call the police as he refused to pay for his goods.

