A MOTHER was asked to leave her seven-month old baby outside a post office branch due to social distancing measures inside the shop.

Mandy Jones attended the Tupsley Post Office and Stores in Old Eign Hill, Hereford on Monday only to be told her baby named Liam, who was sleeping inside his pushchair, was not welcome inside the store.

Instead the assistant suggested Mrs Jones should leave her baby outside while she was in the store.

"I went to post a parcel after dropping my little girl off at school so I got in the line for 10 minutes as there was only one person in and out at a time," said Mrs Jones.

"I just stepped inside the door when a lady told me there was no babies or children allowed.

"I'm sure children run around sometimes so that's understandable but my baby was in a pushchair asleep anyway.

"I was told I could leave my baby outside. I'm not leaving my baby outside he's not a dog, I'm not not going to tie him up outside. The shop assistant said she would keep an eye on him for me.

"I had no idea who the shop assistant was, I wasn't going to trust them with my baby.

"I was absolutely fuming, you can't expect to leave your child outside, it's wrong.

"It's only a little corner shop so I could understand if you weren't allowed pushchairs inside and I could carry him in, but I was was told I couldn't bring my baby in at all.

"What did they really think they could catch from a baby that they can’t catch from a adult?"

Following the incident the post office has reviewed its policy and an adult is now allowed to bring a baby or child into the shop.

Luckily Mrs Jones was able to ask her husband to visit the post office when he returned from work.

However, she raised the question of what would single mothers do?

She also raised the issue of if the shop would be liable if anything happened to any babies or children left outside while their parents were in the shop.

"What if somebody took him whose fault would it have been then?" asked Mrs Jones.

"Would it have been my fault for leaving my baby there? Or their fault as the assistant said they would keep an eye on him."

In response to Mrs Jones' the incident a Post Office spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to hear that a customer had an unsatisfactory visit to our Tupsley branch.

"Due to the narrowness of the shop the postmaster introduced restrictions at the start of lockdown. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by not allowing children into the shop.

"These restrictions have now been reviewed and an adult is now allowed to bring a baby or child into the shop, if the child is supervised during their visit.”