Albert Middlehurst, 56, from Victoria Drive, regularly visits the supermarket and often has to take a carer to help him lift heavy items. But during a shopping trip on Friday afternoon he was approached by security officers at the checkout and told he would not be served.

Mr Middlehurst said: "I don't drink or smoke but I got a crate of special offer beer for my wife. At the till, the carer helped me get my shopping on the conveyor belt. Two security bouncers came up and said they can't serve me. They said my carer's not 18. I said I know he's not, he's 20. I said I'm buying it, not him – I brought a carer to lift it for me."

Mr Middlehurst was told he would not be served the alcohol, and when he demanded an answer as to why he was being refused sale, was told it was because his "face didn't fit".

Mr Middlehurst was left exhausted and distressed by the incident, and felt his rights were ignored because of his disability.

He said: "I know they have a policy not to serve people under 21, and I'm in full support of that. But I have got to come in with a carer because I cannot lift very well. Everyone was watching and I was so embarrassed. And it's not the first time I've had this problem with Tesco."

A spokesman for Tesco apologised for the incident, but stated that the store were only doing what the law required.

He said: "Our advice to cashiers is if there is an element of doubt that alcohol is being bought for someone under age then they should refuse sale. If that was wrong in this case then we apologise, but it is the law.

"This is obviously an exceptional case and you have to use an element of common sense, but they have followed what the law says with the purpose of stopping proxy sales. For the future, if the carer could take ID with them then there would not be a problem."

But Mr Middlehurst feels he has been discriminated against because he cannot buy the goods he wants, adding: "It's not the carer buying it. I go shopping like anyone else and the carer is just the muscle."

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