Tesco Investigates After Employee Allegedly Tells Customers That Gay People 'Should Die Alone'

One of Britain's largest retail chains has reportedly had to apologize after one of its employees allegedly told a pair of lesbian couples that gay people “shouldn’t have babies” and should “die alone” at a London location.

As The Evening Standard reports, Natalie Rivans was shopping with girlfriend Helen Embleton at a Tesco Extra in London's Surrey Quays on Jan. 3 when a cashier told them "all gay people should die alone."

The remarks came after the employee, whose name is not disclosed in media reports, had served a visibly pregnant lesbian couple, ITV reported.

Although Riyans said she challenged the worker after the statement, the employee allegedly shot back, "It's a free country, so I can say what I like."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Tesco told The Independent that the supermarket had apologized for the "inappropriate comments," while an internal investigation was ongoing.

“We work hard to make sure that everyone is welcome at Tesco and put great emphasis on celebrating diversity and ensuring that we are an inclusive place to work and shop," the spokesperson said in the apology, as cited by Pink News.

Rivans said she was expecting to meet the manager of the Tesco Extra, but that she was mostly concerned about whether or not the policy on such matters would be changed "to ensure no one else has to go through [this]."

Meanwhile, she claimed a manager had told her that being gay was a "lifestyle choice" after she'd initially complained, according to The Telegraph.