Mother’s anger after Asda delivery driver gives cigarettes to 13-year-old daughter

A mother who cancelled her Asda home shopping delivery has spoken of her anger after it still arrived and cigarettes were handed to her 13-year-old daughter.

Madison Doctor, 32, from Gloucestershire, was taken into hospital on 12 December last year, so cancelled her food order from the supermarket chain.

However, as her teenage daughter waited at home for her father to pick her up, while a next-door neighbour kept an eye on her, the food delivery turned up anyway.

The 13-year-old accepted the order and put the food away, but two cartons of cigarettes were included and were also handed over to her.

Doctor filed a complaint with Asda, but said she felt it was ignored, with the supermarket giving her a refund for Peperamis which she had not flagged.

“I was in the ambulance and I had to cancel the order because I knew I was going to be admitted into hospital,” she said.

“I left in the ambulance and my daughter was okay for a few minutes because my neighbour was keeping an eye until her dad collected her.

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“Even though I had cancelled the order it still arrived. In the shopping, two packets of cigarettes were in there and I was left with food going off that we could not eat in the fridge.

“I think there must have been around £150 I did in this shop and I am not happy with the whole situation.

“It is bad enough the delivery came and then to hand over cigarettes to my daughter that’s nearly 14 years old is wrong.

“She is good and put the shopping away quickly for me. It is good she is so honest and told us about the cigarettes.”

Doctor said her efforts to complain about the incident to Asda proved fruitless.

“I want them to tell me how I am meant to make a complaint. They sent me an email about refunding Peperamis. I don't know what any of that is about.

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“They have completely ignored me, just refunded Peperamis. I cannot find the complaints process online anywhere. So much of the food has gone to waste and the cigarettes being handed to my daughter has not been addressed.”

Asda said it has since apologised to Doctor.

An Asda spokesperson said: "’We will always require an adult to accept a grocery delivery from us and our drivers may ask for photo ID to verify the customer is able to accept the delivery.

"We have apologised to Ms Doctor for not getting it right on this occasion and we are pleased to have refunded her items as an apology."

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