Yufan Zhao was trying to buy sweets for a cinema trip when a security guard at Tesco, Jarman Park, asked him and his three friends to leave.

The Hemel Hempstead School sixth former was reeling when he discovered it was part of the store's policy on teenage shoppers.

In a bid to stamp out antisocial behaviour, Tesco bans groups of young people from entering the store after 7pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

Yufan, of Northridge Way, said: "The security guard denied us entry and rather rudely told us to get off the premises.

"He said it was because we were in a group and he had no interest in
listening when I explained that we were 18 and just trying to get some sweets and soft drinks."

The policy applies to all groups of youngsters - whether they are drunk or sober, male or female - during times when the neighbouring Leisureworld nightclubs are busiest.

One person is allowed to enter the building while their friends wait for them outside.

A Tesco spokesman said: "We can have problems with people from the nightclubs being drunk, aggressive or stealing. Stopping groups coming in is a way of controlling it."

Yufan, who has been offered a place to study maths at Cambridge University, says the store's clampdown could be effective if it was only used against trouble makers.

He said: "I think it's denying young people their basic human rights.
"The security guard judged us by our appearance and threw us out rather irrationally."

Tesco's head office said it supported the store's rules. A spokesman said: "You can say it's ageist, but I can't remember a time when we had
anti-social behaviour problems with groups of middle-aged men or women.

"Maybe it's a sign of the times, but unfortunately it does tend to be younger people.

"We apologise to this individual if he feels it's an injustice."

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