Muslim Tesco worker refused to sell a customer HAM and WINE during Ramadan

Tesco has issued an apology after a Muslim worker refused to sell a customer ham and wine – because of RAMADAN.

Mum-of-three Julie Cottle had nipped into her local store to buy a few items when she was stunned the checkout employee insisted he couldn’t serve her.

Muslims worldwide are currently fasting for Ramadan – the holy ninth month of the Islamic calendar where devotees abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.

Julie was forced to use the self-service checkout in the Tesco Express, in Neasden, northwest London, after the worker walked off.

Julie said: “He pointed at the ham and wine in my basket and said ‘I can’t serve you that because I’m fasting’.

“When I told him he should be serving customers not turning them away he still refused telling me to go to the self-service. I was furious.”

In a statement, a spokesman for Tesco said: “We don’t have a specific policy and take a pragmatic approach if a colleague raises concerns about a job they have been asked to do.

“We apologise to our customer for any inconvenience on this occasion.”