AN ELDERLY couple told off by Tesco for spending too much time in the store have vowed never to return.

Roland Hodgson has a muscle wasting disease and his wife Pauline suffers from Parkinson's. They find it very difficult to get around and rarely go out on shopping trips.

Their trip to Tesco in Trowbridge on Monday November 12 was planned with their daughter Georgina Johnston.

Mr Hodgson said: "We picked a Monday because we thought it would be less busy ad we knew that we would have problems getting around. Little did we know we would be so badly treated."

The three spent just over four hours in store, shopping for Christmas presents, clothes and food and stocking up on essentials. The in-store electric buggies provided for disabled customers ran out after ten minutes of use, adding more time to their trip.

Mr Hodgson spent some time discussing the purchase of a new television with a store worker and they all sat down for a meal in the Tesco café after they had finished shopping. They spent more than £150 in one trip.

They were deeply shocked to receive a letter a few days later from the company that runs the Tesco car park in County Way.

It stated: "On November 12 your car was parked for longer than the time limit allowed at our Trowbridge store.

"We know from research that the time limits exceed the time customers spend shopping in our stores and feel that they are fair and reasonable. Therefore could you please observe the time restrictions to avoid a parking charge notice being issued."

Mr Hodgson said: "This incident really got up my nose. We clearly displayed out disabled stickers and we don't often come to the store.

"I worked out that we spent about £1.25 a minute give how much time we were in the aisles. Clearly that isn't enough for the Tesco.

"We shall be taking our custom elsewhere in future as there really was no need for this behaviour."

A Tesco spokesman, who asked not to be named, said: "We'd like to thank Ms Johnston for her letter about the experience she had with her parents and sympathise with the difficulties faced on the trip.

"We know from research that the time allowed is fair and reasonable and we feel in the vast majority of cases three hours should be enough for all needs."