I WAS with my 16-year-old daughter at the self-service till at Asda Cockhedge with a pair of shoes, a packet of sweets and bottle of cider.

We passed them through the scanner and I handed my daughter a £10 pound note to put through the self service till as I got some change from my pocket to pay the remainder.

Like a shot a member of staff asked my daughter if she was paying for our things.

She said she was and he immediately stopped the transaction telling me that a minor cannot pay for alcohol.

I said I was paying for it, he said I couldn’t as I had allowed a minor to pay for alcohol.

A supervisor was called, and she confirmed that I wasn’t allowed to buy alcohol at that time, but if I wished to I could leave the store, re-enter and then buy the alcohol.

I declined to enter into this charade and walked out.

As I was leaving I passed the bank of self service tills and saw a man with a much younger child than mine pass his child a £10 note to pay for his two packs of lager.

I am a 57-year-old ex-Royal Marine and ex-police officer. Jobsworths like those I encountered at Asda infuriate me.

DAVID BURRY Howle