Chef told by Asda that limes are classed as weapons

Catering chef Marisa Zoccolan, pictured, was almost banned from buying two limes from the supermarket giant because they could be classed as a weapon. The 31-year-old popped into the Asda supermarket close to her home in Wallsend, North Tyneside, to pick up a few groceries, including a couple of the offending fruits.

But when she tried to pay for them at the self-service checkout, the message “amount exceeded, authorization required” flashed up, and an assistant told her more than one lime was deemed a weapon . . . because the citric acid could be squirted in someone’s eye!

“I thought they were taking the pip,” said Marisa, 31, a self-employed caterer from Wallsend, “but the assistant told me the same applied to lemons! I’ve heard of supermarkets banning people from buying things before, but this is just crazy.

“I thought she was having a laugh when she came back and told me more than one lime is classed as a weapon. I asked her why. Was it because they can be thrown? But no, it’s because they contain citric acid which could be squirted in someone’s eyes . . . How ridiculous is that?”