A MUM-of-five said she is “disgusted” after she was refused entry at a Barrow store due to having children with her.

Jennifer Melia, 35, has vowed to never shop at The Range again after a staff member allegedly banned her from coming in.

The full-time mum from Barrow said she headed to the Duke Street store for essential items after self-isolating at home for three weeks.

She said: “My dad is a pensioner with underlying issues and asked me to get some shampoo and wipes for him.

“I needed some essential products for myself too.

“Because Tesco and other supermarkets were queuing out the door, I wanted to avoid those places and go somewhere a bit quieter.

“I had my new-born baby, two-year-old and seven-year-old with me too.

"So didn’t want to be stuck outside queuing for ages.”

Miss Melia said she was queuing outside The Range when she noticed a sign stating only one person per household was allowed inside.

She said: “A staff member then came up to me and asked if I was buying essential items.

“I said yes, then she asked me to leave the store because I had children with me and apparently you’re only allowed one per household.

“I couldn’t believe it.

“I said I’m a single parent with five kids, three of which are with me today.

“I can’t just leave them outside.

“She didn’t care though and told me to leave.”

Miss Melia said the children were all wearing masks and practicing distancing measures, yet were still asked to leave.

“It’s just absolutely disgusting,” she said.

“I understand the rules of lockdown but this is taking it too far.

“Just because I have kids I’m not allowed in – that’s discrimination.

“I’m a single mum who has to shop with her kids.

“Aldi, Tesco, Asda, Wilkinson’s all allow children in, why not The Range?”

Miss Melia, who suffers with anxiety and post-natal depression, said the incident has left her “not wanting to go out”.

“I feel traumatised,” she said.

“It’s set me back from going out all over again.

“I will never shop there again.”

A spokesperson for The Range, Barrow, said: “We are limited to two people in the store (per household) to safeguard both staff and customers.”

The Range's website says the company has implemented an enhanced cleaning routine and social distancing.

The firm is asking that customers keep a distance of at least 2m apart and avoid physical contact as far as possible.

It also requests that, where possible, shoppers pay by contactless card to reduce the risk of contamination.

The government has advised that anyone who goes out should stay 2m (6ft) away from other people at all times. There are no official restrictions on stores but they are seen as high risk areas for transmission of the virus.