A LOWTON housewife has slammed a Leigh supermarket after its manager refused to let her two years old son use the store's toilet.

Rachel Stead, 25, of Maple Avenue, left a pile of shopping in the store in protest and marched out with her son Ryan (pictured).

Now she is condemning the decision to refuse the request as "heartless" after claiming it is the first time she has been denied use of toilet facilities for her son.

Rachel said: "I was in the middle of doing my shopping with Ryan in Netto when he was taken short and needed to use the toilet. I politely asked a member of staff if there was a toilet in the store he could use and after being referred to a man I was told was the manager he refused, claiming there were no facilities for public use.

"This is the first time I have ever been refused in any shop or store, and I think it's disgusting that they would refuse a two year old. He was crossing his legs in pain and I had to take him outside which is embarrassing.

"I can understand it if they refuse an adult because, obviously, they can control themselves longer, but a child can't. I'm really appalled."

A Netto spokesman said: "This was an unfortunate incident, but our official policy is not to let anyone use our toilets because of health and safety regulations and simply for security reasons.

"We have had problems at some of our other stores with breaches of security, so our official policy is not to allow our toilets to be used at any time."

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