Shopping centre forces girl, 4, to take off her 'hoodie'

In her pink cardigan and standing a mere 3ft6in, fouryearold Karen Lewis hardly looks a menace to society.

But that didn't stop staff at a seaside amusement arcade reducing the little girl to tears by warning her she was flouting company rules on hooded tops.

A worker explained to Karen's mother, Cheryl, that it was company policy to insist customers pulled down their hoods, in case yobs used them to conceal their identity while causing trouble.

The incident took place while Karen was playing on a 2p slot machine at Les Harker's Amusements in the North Wales resort of Rhyl, where she was on holiday with her mother and grandparents.

Miss Lewis, 36, a mature student from Shrewsbury, said: "I appreciate there is bad publicity about hoodies, but a four-year-old girl is an entirely different issue.

"Bearing in mind that I'm disabled and my father, who was with us, is 69, we were hardly posing a threat. It is just ludicrous.

"Karen was really unhappy for the rest of her holiday because she thought she was to blame.

"We had a few tears in the car on the way home. She still thought the men were picking on her because she was little."

Arcade owner Les Harker, who was not present at the time, confirmed the policy but said he would usually ask "with a smile and a gag" to ensure no one took offence.

He added: "I am disappointed this has happened. I think it's a case not of what the staff member said, but how it was said."