Harrods refused to let ‘sweaty’ runners buy bottle of water
Security staff at Harrods have been accused of humiliating two runners who called in for refreshments after a run in the hot weather by refusing them entry to the store.
Julia Buckley and Gertrud Porter said they were made to feel "like criminals" when trying to enter the Knightsbridge department store on Friday morning for water and a sandwich.
Ms Buckley, from Harrow-on-the-Hill, said: "The doorman looked us up and down and asked if we'd been on a marathon. He told us we couldn't come in dressed like that."
The pair had been on a 20-mile run through London and finished at Hyde Park. They were wearing running shorts and t-shirts. Ms Buckley's arm was bandaged after she fell and fractured it that day, which the doorman also questioned.
Ms Buckley, 33, said: "There were all these women going in to the store dressed in little tops and shorts, much shorter than ours.
"It was really humiliating, I felt like a criminal being held at the door."
The doorman allowed the runners in after checking with a manager.
The Harrods dress code forbids athletic singlets, cycling shorts and dirty or "unkempt" clothing.
Ms Buckley added: "I had hoped for a better welcome from what is supposed to be a friendly customer-focused store.
"It was pretty bizarre considering Harrods incorporates a well-known chain of running shops where they sell the kind of kit we were wearing."
A spokesperson for Harrods said they had no record of the incident but store policy does not include "excessive sweat". She said: "We do not allow entry to those dressed in work-soiled or excessively sweaty clothing."
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