Bristol corner shop 'changed sell-by dates on products with biro’

A corner shop has been accused of using a biro to change the sell-by date on products to unsuspecting customers.

The Londis outlet in Patchway, Bristol allegedly used a black pen to turn 2016 into 2018, while it is claimed it also sold bottles of beer that was three years old.

Mum Louise Dare claims she found the date changed on a reduced packet of flour she sent her son to buy from the shop for Pancake Day.

She said: “The date said April 2018. I thought it was funny because flour doesn’t usually last over a year.

“When I looked closer at the date I saw it was actually April 2016 and someone had used a pen to turn the six into an eight. I was furious.

“It was from April 2016 which means it was potentially 11 months out of date.

“I think it’s disgusting. You can’t charge people for out-of-date food, it doesn’t matter if it’s reduced.

“My nephew died of a nut allergy so I’m very careful about what we eat. Selling out-of-date food could potentially do someone some serious damage.”

The flour had been reduced to 20p and Louise went to the store to challenge the shopkeeper about the date change.

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She added: “I asked him, ‘why have you defaced this bag, do you know that’s illegal?’ He said it was okay because he had reduced it.

“I started taking photos of the flour on the shelves and he told me to stop making trouble and get out of his shop.

“I told him ‘you shouldn’t be running a shop.'”

Louise claimed it was the third time out-of-date food had been sold to her by the same shop.

She said: “We’ve had out-of-date things from there on three separate occasions.

“The first time it was four cans of cider.

“Then last summer we got some rolls for the barbecue, they were out of date which I took back and told the lad behind the counter.”

Fellow customer Gary Walsh claimed he bought beer from the same Londis which had a best before date of November 2013.

He said: “Me and my wife got a curry on Sunday night. I popped into Londis to get some beers to wash it down with.

“The first one might have tasted a bit strange, but I didn’t think much of it – the curry was quite hot and I couldn’t really taste much.”

Gary started on a second bottle before realising the beer was old.

He added: “If the first one wasn’t brilliant, the second one was even worse. My wife tried it and she said it tasted like sherry.

“While I was doing the washing up I checked the best before date, just out of curiosity, and it went out of date in 2013.

”I didn’t feel great after drinking it but I haven’t been ill or anything – I can’t imagine it’s done me any favours,” he added.

Mr Walsh contacted the environmental health team at South Gloucestershire Council after the discovery.

A spokesman for Londis said: “We are sorry to hear about this incident.

“All Londis stores are independently owned and therefore we have no operational control.

“However, we will pick up with the retailer directly to advise him of the complaints.”

Top pic: SWNS