BOSSES at a Trowbridge supermarket have scrapped a policy banning two elderly pigeon feeders from buying bread because staff were picking on the wrong people.

The embarrassing u-turn comes after Italian chip shop owner Rosanna Melillo was twice mistaken for one of the persistent bird feeders by cashiers at Tesco, in County Way.

Managers said this week they regretted the case of mistaken identity and were ditching the policy, put in place following a request from Trowbridge Town Council, because it was unworkable.

Mrs Melillo, 45, of Drynham Lane, Trowbridge, told the Wiltshire Times she felt "embarrassed and humiliated" after cashiers told her she wasn't allowed to buy more than one loaf of reduced bread on two separate occasions, leaving her close to tears.

"I believe it was because I don't sound English. I have been picked on. They never gave me any reason at all. I told them they were picking on the wrong woman," she said.

"I like to buy reduced bread as I am a bargain hunter. To only be allowed to buy one was an insult.

"On the second time I called for the manager as I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"I was told I had to respect what I had been told. In that moment I felt stupid, embarrassed and cheap, just like a cheap loaf of bread."

Mrs Melillo, who runs Da' Alfredos in Silver Street, Bradford on Avon, said staff treated her like a common shoplifter.

"I felt like I had been spied on from the minute I

went into the store. I have shopped there for over 20 years," she said.

"Any of my customers watching would have thought I was shoplifting."

Store manager Richard Bayliffe said the policy was introduced in response to a town council request.

"I have stopped such restrictions due to the fact it is unreasonable for our cashiers to correctly identify the customers," he said.

"On this occasion, through an error, this lady has been confused with the ladies the council has asked us not to sell reduced loaves of bread too.

"No discrimination was intended. I am very happy to meet with the customer and make sure she understands the situation. There is no way we would want to leave it as it is."

Town council clerk Doug Ross said councillors would be informed of the store's decision.

"Staff keep changing so I understand their position," he said.

"It is dreadful that innocent people have been stopped from buying bread."