Formal Complaint – 29th November 2024

this letter was posted by recorded mail and delivered.

Gerry Murphy
Tesco PLC
Tesco House,
Shire Park, Kestrel Way,
Welwyn Garden City,
Hertfordshire,
AL7 1GA, United Kingdom
Cc. Gerry Murphy, Imran Nawaz – CFO, Melissa Bethell, Bertrand Bodson, Carolyn Fairbairn,
Thierry Garnier, Stewart Gilliland, Alison Platt, Caroline Silver, Karen Whitworth – Executives of the Board
Subject: Accountability for Discriminatory Treatment, Mental Harm, and Inhumane Behaviour
Customer Name: David Grant, Birch Farm, Barton Moss, Eccles, Manchester, M30 7RW
Tesco CEO customer complaint ID: 476626, 480278
Greater Manchester Police reference number: 1363-181124
Incident Location: Irlam Tesco, Woodrow Way, Fairhills Industrial Estate, Irlam, Manchester, M44 6BL
Date of Incident: Friday, 5 November 2024
Time: Approx. 15:10

Dear Mr Murphy and members of the Tesco Board,

I am writing to hold Tesco accountable for the discriminatory actions of your staff and the harmful policies that enabled my mistreatment. This experience has caused me significant
mental harm, humiliation, and distress. Moreover, it is now documented in my medical records, and the community mental health team has been informed via a referral from my GP, which
explicitly mentions Tesco as a trigger for my ongoing mental health crisis.

Your policies are not rules; they are guides, but they were weaponised against me in a discriminatory manner. During the incident, your staff repeatedly cited payment policy to justify
actions that left me vulnerable, distressed, and re-traumatised in what should have been a simple transaction and moment of invoking some staff training with awareness.

As an autistic individual with complex PTSD stemming from childhood abuse when i was 8/9. I now carry an official diagnosis card instead of wearing a sunflower lanyard, which I view as ineffective due to widespread misuse and lack of staff awareness. Despite presenting my card—a recognised method for communicating hidden disabilities—your staff failed to show the
necessary understanding or care.

This incident constitutes a clear violation of the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on disability and mandates reasonable adjustments for disabled individuals. Tesco’s handling of this situation also breaches the Mental Health Act 1983, which underscores the necessity of respect
and sensitivity toward those with mental health challenges.

Summary of Events:
After struggling to complete payment with my Apple phone, I declared my autism and requested help.
Your staff ignored my needs, mocked me, and escalated the situation. A young female staff member threatened to slap my phone out of my hand, and when I continued to explain my condition, I was told, “We don’t care.”

Despite eventually paying, I was escorted out by security, and humiliated further by members of the public who heckled and threatened me. Four days later, the police deemed this a public order offence and called an ambulance for me. This led to my referral to the community mental health team for crisis care, as this incident exacerbated my ongoing trauma and mental health challenges.

Your staff’s lack of training not only harmed me but also put your employees in situations they were clearly unprepared to handle, indicating organisational negligence.

Impact on My Mental Health:
This experience has severely disrupted my progress in therapy. The shame and distress triggered by
your staff’s actions have left me emotionally unstable and unsafe in public spaces. Tesco was once a
place where I felt comfortable collecting medication and shopping, but this incident has irreparably
damaged that trust.
As an adult victim of childhood abuse, I have worked tirelessly to rebuild my life particularly over
the last 4 years when i only just reported it. I have not spoken about it, but now I will. This
incident forced me to confront my trauma in deeply distressing ways, even leading to difficult conversations with my family. I am now left managing the fallout of your failure to provide basic human decency and respect.

Proposed Actions:
To address these failings, I request that Tesco:

1. Issue a formal apology for the treatment I experienced, acknowledging the harm
   caused.
2. Provide financial compensation for the distress and harm caused, particularly as it
   has now necessitated additional mental health care.
3. Implement comprehensive staff training on autism, trauma sensitivity, and disability
   inclusion.
4. Review and revise the sunflower lanyard scheme to ensure it is respected and that
   official diagnosis cards are recognised.
5. Update all marketing materials to reflect a genuine commitment to inclusivity and
   respect for hidden disabilities.
6. Establish clear protocols for supporting vulnerable customers and preventing
   discrimination.
7. Ensure all staff members wear name badges for accountability.
8. Conduct an internal review to identify how such incidents can be prevented in the
   future.

Tesco must comply with the Equality Act and ensure staff are equipped to treat vulnerable individuals with respect and dignity. I expect immediate action to rectify these issues and
prevent further harm to others.

If necessary, I am prepared to provide additional documentation, including screenshots, medical
records, and the GP referral mentioning Tesco. However, given the gravity of this situation, I hope that Tesco will take responsibility without pressing me further for justification of my distress.

I await your full apology and evidence of meaningful steps to address these systemic failures.

Yours sincerely,
David Neil Bromley Grant