Tesco refused to sell wine to a suburban mother aged 46... in case she gave it to her 14-year-old daughter

Staff at supermarket giant Tesco refused to sell wine to a mother - in case she gave it to her 14-year-old daughter.

Fraud investigator Karen Dumelow, 46, and her daughter Emily were at the check-out when a cashier said she could not serve her in case the wine was given to the youngster.

She had been about to pay for two bottles of white wine at the Portsmouth store while doing her weekly shopping with her daughter.

Embarrassed and angry: Karen Dumelow with 14-year-old Emily outside the store that refused to sell wine to her

Mrs Dumelow said she spoke to three senior members of staff who agreed with the cashier who had wanted to see identification for the teenager.

But because Emily was unable to do so Mrs Dumelow was told she could not buy the wine.

She said today: 'The checkout assistant asked Emily for ID and I just told her that obviously she didn't have any because she is only 14 years old.

'I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was crazy. Do you have to leave your children at home if you want to buy alcohol now?

She was then forced to put aside the wine, pay for the rest of the shopping and then send off her daughter to the car before she could pay for the alcohol separately at the same till.

'I was paying for the shopping, not her, how extreme can something get?" Mrs Dumelow told the Portsmouth News.

'I would never purchase alcohol for an under-age person.

The supermarket giant tries to stop adults buying alcohol for minors as part of its efforts to curb under-age drinking.

Mrs Dumelow, from Milton near Portsmouth, said today: 'The part that incensed me the most was that literally one minute later I bought the wine from the same till - it was unbelievable.

'All I had to do was send my daughter to the car and all of a sudden everything was OK.'

Emily said she was embarrassed by the incident in the crowded store, adding: 'I don't understand why they wanted ID for me because the wine wasn't for me and I wasn't paying.'

Her mother has sent Tesco a written complaint.

Mrs Dumelow, a fraud investigator, said: 'In my job I have to be squeaky clean and that's how I am outside the office too.

'I would never try and buy my daughter or any other under-age person alcohol and I find it extremely distressing to have been treated this way.

'I have sent Tesco a two-page letter explaining how angry I am. And I have shown them that my till receipts prove how crazy the whole thing was.'

Tesco today apologised for the incident and the embarrassment it caused.

'We work hard to prevent under-age sales, including proxy sales where adults purchase alcohol for under-18s. However in this instance we got it wrong and sincerely apologise.'