M&S have apologised after a mum was left “bursting” for the loo as she claimed their staff refused to let her use the toilet, despite being a customer.
Sue Smith visited the York M&S store for an early mother’s day treat of tea and cake last Sunday.
However, she tried to use the toilet as the branch was shutting down but was left “fuming” after she was told it was store policy not to let anyone use them after the tannoy had sounded.
The chain apologised to the 64-year-old, and insisted that she should have been allowed to use it, Teesside Live reported.
Instead of letting Ms Smith use the toilet, she was forced to endure an uncomfortable hour-plus long drive home before she could finally go to the toilet.
She slammed the decision as “daft” not to let her go and that she was “full of tea”.
She said: "It wasn't like we had just come off the streets, we were actually in the shop and paying customers”.
After she had splashed out in the city centre restaurant she was flabbergasted that staff wouldn’t let her go to the toilet.
She said: "We came out the restaurant having tea and cake, so three of us said 'We have to go as the shop's closing'.
“So we got up and walked towards the toilet, around 100 yards away on the same floor, and we saw this lad in his Hi-vis coat.
"As we walked towards the toilet, a couple of girls came out and then the Tannoy announcer said 'The shop's closing in ten minutes, can you make your way to the checkouts.’
“But when we got to the toilet he said we couldn't come in once they made the ten minute announcement.
"At the time we were so polite, but we should have said 'Don't be so daft' and walked past - what would he have done? But we didn't because we are too nice. But I was fuming, absolutely fuming - and busting."
To help her, her daughter tried to take her to a public convenience, only to find that it too had shut.
They said it has marred what had otherwise been a “lovely” day, and when she made it home she fired off a complaint to M&S.
However, the national chain didn’t reply until Teeside Live raised her concerns with the high street giant.
Since then ,a spokesperson for the firm clarified that the toilets should always remain open to customers as long as the store is.
"We were sorry to hear about Ms Smith’s experience. At M&S we hold ourselves to the highest standards of customer service and our toilets are available for customers to use whenever our store is open.," they added.
"We are contacting Ms Smith directly to apologise and our store manager would like to offer her some flowers next time she visits the store.”
And Sue also claims that, days later, the firm eventually did reply - and also offered her a £10 voucher.
However Sue said she spoke out about her experience not for some freebie, but to point out the poor experience she had - and to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else.
"If we had just come off the street and asked 'Can we use your toilets', I'd understand it if they said we couldn't as the shop's closing. That would be a bit cheeky. But we were already in there."
"It just spoilt a lovely afternoon we had shopping.”
