Shopper terrified after Manchester Lidl manager confronts him with KNIFE

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Shopper terrified after Manchester Lidl manager confronts him with KNIFE

A MAN claims he could have been left injured after he was confronted by a knife-wielding Lidl store manager who suspected him of shoplifting.

Peter Bray, 53, had gone out shopping with a friend when they visited a branch of the supermarket in Harpurhey, Greater Manchester.

Mr Bray waited by the tills while his friend scanned the aisles for items.

After a few minutes, he realised his friend had left the store and was now waiting outside.

But when Mr Bray attempted to leave he was stopped by an "aggressive" security guard who asked to look inside the bags he was carrying.

He refused and asked to see the store manager.

Mr Bray claims the security guard then ran towards him and attempted to grab the bags before the store's deputy manager also appeared.

He says the deputy manager then slashed at his bags using a Stanley knife, sending his shopping spilling the floor.

Mr Bray, who owns a coffee shop in nearby Radcliffe, says he was left terrified by the incident and Lidl has now launched an investigation.

He told the Bury Times that the Lidl staff had "attacked" him and gripped him by the wrists before he spotted the store manager with the knife.

"By this time I was frightened," he said. "I thought, 'I could get seriously injured here.'

"He [the store manager] did about four or five swipes with this knife, and he could have cut open my thigh and my arm.

"I was trying to get away from him, but the security guard wouldn't let me go.

"They did manage to cut through the bag and all my items fell on the floor. I was very distressed.

"Straight away they realised I had not shop lifted and they backed away."

Mr Bray described the store manager and security guard's actions as "vicious" and he rang the police after being asked to leave the store.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed they attended the incident at around 3pm on January 7, but said that the matter was now being dealt with
internally by Lidl.

GMP also stressed that the Stanley knife did not cause any injuries.

But Mr Bray claims he suffered other injuries and was forced to close his shop for two days.

"I have damage to my upper left arm, my left shoulder and lower right back," he claims.

"I could hardly walk the following day."

"I have been told by my GP to have six or seven weeks off, which being a small business owner I can't afford to do.”

A Lidl spokesman said: "We can confirm that police attended an incident in store on January 7 reviewing CCTV footage on site, no further action was taken.

"Nevertheless, we do not condone any behaviour that could be deemed inappropriate or offensive, and a full internal investigation has since
been conducted, resulting in appropriate action being taken.

"We have been in direct communication with the customer to inform them of the outcome."

The spokesman would not say what action was taken.

Daily Star Sunday