Sainsbury's apologises after lesbian couple told to stop kissing

Sainsbury's has apologised after a lesbian couple were told to stop kissing in one of their stores - on National Coming Out Day.

The store denied claims that student Annabelle Paige and her girlfriend were asked to leave, but told ITV News a contracted security guard had approached them following a complaint from a customer.

Ms Paige, 22, an English Literature student at Sussex University, said she had given her girlfriend a "light kiss" while they were shopping in a Brighton store on October 11.

Paige told The Times that the security guard asked them to "either leave and take it outside or continue our shop without being affectionate as it was making other customers uncomfortable".

One customer had reportedly complained, calling the couple "disgusting".

“To be honest, I thought she [the security guard] was joking. I’ve never experienced something like that and at the same time as we were in the store there were heterosexual couples being as affectionate, if not more so," said Paige.

"She told us she was sorry to have said that, but a customer had complained, saying what we were doing was ‘disgusting’ and had claimed they were worried for the safety of their child so the security guard felt she had to come and say something to us.

"That word, disgusting, it really resonated and shook me."

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s told ITV News: “This should never have happened - it is clear that Miss Paige and her partner were not behaving inappropriately and we are very sorry that they were treated in this way.

“We have called Miss Paige to apologise and will be making a donation to a charity of her choice.”

The store's apology is believed to have been accepted, the spokesperson added.

Founded in 1988, National Coming Out Day aims to celebrate people being able to talk openly about their sexuality.