Keira Messingham, 17, from Belmont Walk, Durrington, was treated to a funky pink dye-job as an Easter treat from her parents.

But her attempt to try something new didn't go down well with one manager at the Sainsbury's superstore, in Lyons Farm, Broadwater, where she works as a cashier.

Keira's mother, Fran, an assistant cub pack leader, said store manager Lawrence Hartnett Brown sent her daughter home in tears after telling her she "couldn't possibly work like that".

Fran said: "She is 17. She is a student. They need to express themselves in some way.

"I'm sure if you lined up every employee in that store, 90 per cent would have un-natural hair.

"There's an awful lot with highlights or colouring.

"I'm absolutely disgusted. Especially in today's society, where different hair colour is the norm. She's naturally red anyway."

She pointed to terms and conditions in her daughter's contract which ban items such as nose-rings outright, yet seem to only recommend natural hair-colouring.

Keira, who studies aircraft mechanics at the Northbrook College campus in Shoreham Airport, said she still doesn't know what will happen when she is due to work again on Saturday (March 29.

Sainsbury's spokesman Melanie Etches issued a statement which said: "In our guidelines, we do ask our colleagues to have natural-looking hair which we would expect them to adhere to."



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