I have never felt the need to write to a newspaper before now. But in this difficult situation we all find ourselves in at the moment, I have to say something.

Though it is always nice to read about acts of kindness there are probably twice as many unpleasant people. Some of the Great British public are really showing their true colours with their acts of greed and selfishness.

An example of this is how my eldest daughter, who is a manager of a Bridport town centre store, and her team are being treated.

Over the last couple of weeks she has had people try to gain entry to the shop as she is locking up and demanding hand sanitiser. Being told she is a liar when she says she has no sanitiser, toilet roll or paracetamol and that she is obviously saving it all for herself, her staff and family which, trust me, is not the case.

On March 18 she phoned her mother in tears and completely distraught because customers had complained that she had made up little packages for the elderly to be told “why are you doing that for them they shouldn’t be out”. Very community spirited.

And March 19 was no better with customers demanding to scan their purchases themselves and being just rude to the shop assistant who obviously got upset and when telling my daughter what had happened had another customer suggest that the assistant should be fired for refusing the first customer’s demands.

Do these selfish, rude, greedy people not realise that these workers, who let’s be honest if they weren’t there doing their jobs there would be no hand sanitiser anyway, are as frightened of what the immediate future holds for them as the rest of us are.

These women and men in all supermarkets and stores should be praised and applauded along with our doctors, nurses and care workers who to my mind are doing a wonderful job and I salute you all.

To those rude, greedy, selfish individuals take a good long look at yourselves and go and apologise.

IAN KEARLEY
Bridport