STUDENTS from a secondary school have been barred from shopping alone in the new Aldi store on the outskirts of Taunton.

The company slapped a blanket ban on all students from Heathfield Community School due to "the behaviour" of some of them.

Aldi declined to give further details of any misconduct, but the ban is a temporary arrangement that will be reviewed in due course.

But the mother of one girl who attends Heathfield is angry that her daughter and her friends have been stopped from popping into the store to buy their lunch on their way to school.

She said: "My daughter and her friends began to call in there of a morning on their way to school.

"After a few days of doing so, they were approached by a member of staff and told to leave the store as 'it's Aldi's policy not to allow children in store without a parent'.

"They thought that it may have been that particular staff member being a 'jobsworth' and tried again the following day, only to receive the same treatment. How ridiculous.

"They left the store without their lunch and baffled as to way they were asked to leave yet again.

"They are certainly not the kind of girls to cause any trouble and were simply calling into the store to purchase something for their lunch. I think it is disgusting to have such a policy.

"Many children use my local Tesco Express and the staff have no problem with this.

"I understand that some children think it funny to cause trouble, but surely Aldi should not tar every child with the same brush.

"My daughter and her friends regularly go into town together on a weekend and wander around the shops and have never been asked to leave.

"It's awful and I won't shop there again due to their terrible attitude towards youngsters."

The Aldi store was opened in mid-November on Bridgwater Road, Bathpool by Olympic pentathlete Samantha Murray.

Referring to the student ban, a company spokesman said: "The behaviour of some pupils from a local school has caused disruption to other customers in our store.

"Following consultations with the school we have decided to prevent children from entering the store without an adult during the school term time."