Gardener claims DIY chain slandered her
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A row which began in a north London branch of Homebase over the price tag on a plant ended up in the High Court yesterday when an aggrieved shopper began a slander action against the chain.
Jo-Ann Bowen-Griffith said staff at the New Southgate store accused her of swapping a £12 tag on the betula plant for a £1 label. When challenged, the keen gardener, from Hendon, north London, said she felt "extremely upset and angry".
To compound her discomfort, she said she spotted a couple in another checkout queue who were her rivals in gardening competitions.
In a statement to the court, she said: "When I saw them, I became even more embarrassed and demanded even more adamantly an apology."
She said she was forced to take legal action because the DIY chain refused to admit she was right and had banned her from its stores. She is seeking aggravated damages for defamation. The case continues.