Mum’s fury as autistic son, 15, ‘kicked out’ of B&M store by worker over lava lamp row
A MUM has blasted B&M after her autistic son was "kicked out" of a store for touching a lava lamp.
Natalie Birks says she left the shop in tears after a member of staff shouted at her son Brandon, 15.
And she alleges the teenager was accused of stealing as the incident unfolded in Stoke-on-Trent.
The mum-of-three, 33, told the Stoke Sentinel: "We walked over to the lava lamps.
“There was a massive sign on these lamps reading 'please try me’.
"He went to touch one of them to show me how it works and this woman shouted, ‘Don’t touch that’.
"He was confused and asked why. She said, ‘Because I said so’.
“I asked him, ‘Is that the one you want?’. He said yes and put it in the trolley.
"We went to walk over to the toy aisle, but a worker came running up to us and said to my son, ‘You need to leave right now’.
"I asked what he had done and they told me he was trying to touch things.
"I told them he has autism.
“When he gets excited he flaps his hands.
"He doesn’t understand much and was confused when he was asked to leave.
“In my eyes he didn’t do anything wrong. All he did was touch a lava lamp.”
Natalie has lodged a complaint with B&M.
She said: “I was upset and crying.
"Brandon was confused more than anything. He went in thinking he was going to pick some things and he came out with nothing.
'I LEFT IN TEARS'
“Autism is totally different for everyone. It feels like he is being discriminated against for having autism and for being the way he is.
“I will not be going to that branch. It’s not fair that my son should feel victimised.
"We were only in there for three minutes before we were kicked out. You can’t always see disabilities.”
The Sun has contacted B&M for comment.
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