What a pa‘lather’!

A security guard was called to deal with an 11-year-old girl and her friends after a tub of bubble bath “exploded” on to a shop floor at Seef Mall.

The parents of St Christopher’s School pupil Katie Chapman say The Body Shop over-reacted and that their daughter was left traumatised after being treated like a criminal.
Katie and her friends, also aged 11, had called into the shop on their way to a birthday party at the mall.
The manager of the store says staff carried out normal procedure whilst dealing with an incident in her absence and that the child should not have opened the container.
Mrs Cherry Chapman said: “Accidents happen and I think this was treated in a very heavy-handed manner.
“Katie is a very sensitive child and did not deliberately damage the item. She was in tears but they would not let her go without someone paying for it.
“We have always supported the Body Shop because of its ethical views and Katie, in particular, uses products from the store because they do not test them on animals.
“It would appear they are very nice to animals but are not so kind when it comes to children.”
The three schoolgirls called a parent by mobile phone. The father was close-by and paid BD10 for the item under protest.
The store manager, called Merle, told GulfWeekly that she was travelling to work when she received a call about the incident.
A security officer from a neighbouring store had been called over and one of the children’s parents would not wait for her to arrive so that she could handle the matter personally.
“The group of children came in, without adult supervision, and was offered help by members of staff which was refused.
“We have samples especially for customers to smell our products and it is unnecessary to open tubs, bottles and containers which are for sale.
“The bubble bath was spilt all over the floor, there was screaming and other customers were disturbed. They did not apologise and were asked to pay.”