A 44-YEAR-OLD mum was refused permission to buy a bottle of wine while shopping with her teenage son at a supermarket.

English teacher Amanda Akeroyd was shocked when staff at Asda refused to sell her the wine and two small bottles of cider while doing her weekly shopping with 17-year-old Jason.

Also with them was Amanda's 24-year-old partner Tim. Jason and Tim were both asked for identification to prove their age but neither was able to produce any.

Amanda was told by staff they couldn't serve her because they couldn't guarantee she wasn't going to pass the alcohol onto someone who was under age.

Store bosses say Amanda won't be able to buy alcohol while shopping with Jason and say staff took a 'common sense approach'.

Angry Amanda said: "I often do my weekly shop, with my son, on my way home from work because he goes to the sixth form where I work. Even if he had had ID on him he is only 17, so they still wouldn't have served me.

"Am I supposed to not take my son shopping with me anymore?"

She added: "It was a surreal situation. I already had most of the shopping bagged up. If I had been buying crates and crates of beer I could understand. But the amount and type of alcohol I was buying was clearly not for giving to someone who was under age."

A spokesman for Asda said: "Although it seems mad, we don't blame our colleagues for being over-cautious.

"If they sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 the law says they will be held personally responsible and could be handed an on-the-spot fine.

"We support our colleagues to make the right using a common sense approach."

The spokesman said it was the responsibility of individual checkout staff to agree to serve customers buying alcohol and Amanda may face the same situation if Jason is with her in future.

Amanda was so disgusted with the way she was treated by the supermarket she abandoned her shopping and said she won't be returning to the supermarket.

"Afterwards I went and did the shopping I needed for dinner in another supermarket.

"I was with Jason and Tim and bought a bottle of wine without any problems," she said.

Keith James, police licensing officer for Teignbridge and the South Hams, said all premises selling alcohol are constantly being reminded to be careful when dealing with young people and to make sure alcohol isn't passed on to them.

He added: "The are no specific problems with the Asda store in Newton Abbot."