STAFF at a supermarket stopped a woman from buying Halloween pumpkin carving packs for primary school children because she does not look 25.

Jennifer Carmichael, 24, from Darlington, tried to buy 22 of the kits for a spooky seasonal project with school pupils this morning. (Thursday, October 23)

The kits, which cost £1, include a scoop and a plastic handled round-edged 4cm metal blade with a serrated edge.

The store assistant at Asda in Stanley, County Durham said she would need ID to prove she was over 18, because she did not think she looked 25.

Miss Carmichael, who is the wedding manager at Beamish Hall Hotel, near Stanley, said: “It’s not an appropriate policy for these items at all.

“I look over 18, which is the law, but I look under 25 so they can’t sell me it, which is stupid.

“I’m six years older than what it says I have to be so it makes no sense.”

Miss Carmichel had to wait for 25 minutes while her colleague Kerry McCabe, 33, from Gateshead, brought her proof of age to the store.

She was told no-one else was allowed to buy them for her and ID would be required.

She added: “I was stood there for about 20-25 minutes waiting for Kerry to come and get us because obviously I couldn’t leave them so I had to just stand there and wait.”

“I think it’s quite funny. It’s quite amusing. It did make me laugh but at the start I was really angry, because I just thought like what am I doing here waiting for this?"

The kits were for a pumpkin carving session with seven and eight years old at Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, near Stanley.

Pupils were allowed to use them with the approval of the school and supervision of teachers.

Miss McCabe, the hotel’s marketing manager, said: “It’s absolutely ridiculous, the whole thing. At what point do you apply common sense?”

A spokesman for Asda said all staff adhere to a strict Challenge 25 policy and it would be an offence to sell age restricted products without ID.

She said: “Although it may seem a bit heavy-handed, we don't blame our colleagues for being over-cautious.

“We support our colleagues to make the right decision using a common sense approach, and would like to remind customers that if they intend to buy an age restricted product to have a valid photo ID.”