Covid: 'Youngster ban' Makro turned away mother and baby

Kat Bailey said she had no alternative childcare for her daughter Jessica

A mother who tried to enter a store with her three-month-old daughter in a baby carrier was turned away because of its social distancing policy.

Kat Bailey, who owns a fitness studio in Nottingham, said she had no alternative childcare when she went to Makro on Tuesday to buy supplies.

She was told the wholesaler had banned under-16s as part of social distancing measures in its stores.

The company said it was "sorry to hear about [Ms Bailey's] concerns".

Ms Bailey, whose two fitness studios have been closed throughout most of 2020, said the rule was unhelpful to "already struggling" business owners who are single parents or without alternative childcare.

She is preparing for a limited reopening and was hoping to stock up on drinks, protein bars, hand sanitiser and cleaning equipment.

"I got turned away because of my baby," she said. "It's so hard right now trying to run a business.

"We have spent the last nine months trying to keep our business going. We are struggling.

"And it really doesn't help when big businesses like Makro turn us away because we don't have childcare."

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In April, parenting charities and Bruce Adamson, Scotland's Children and Young People's Commissioner, wrote to retailers regarding their concerns that parents and carers had been challenged about bringing their children shopping during lockdown.

Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread, the national single parents' charity, said: "We are asking businesses to ensure their guidance for shoppers reflects the needs of... families and this must be communicated across their staff teams."

Makro, which serves trade customers, said it had introduced measures during the pandemic to aid social distancing.

"Due to... the number of customers we are experiencing, children under 16 are currently not allowed," a spokeswoman said.

"We are also limiting the number of customers into our branches at any one time.

"We are sorry to hear about these concerns. We are simply trying to keep everyone safe and well."