Co-operative Food Store

At approximately 10.20 am this morning, Saturday 12 th March, whilst passing the local Cooperative Store in the centre of Spondon Derby, I witnessed an employee emptyng bottle of beer into the road drain. I asked him why he was doing this, and was absolutely amazed by his reply, which was «These bottles are normally sold in packs, and if we have odd ones left over, we cannot sell them because they have no bar code on them». If these were «bottles left over» how have the other bottles in the pack been «sold»? It was not just a few bottles being disposed, it would possibly make the local sewer rats very happy. In principle I abhor this type of wastage, surely some means of sale or disposal could be used. Note that I am a teetotaller, so have no alcoholic interrest in the subject. R.J.Mellor