A LOYAL customer of Tesco - whose motto is 'Every Little Helps' - has slammed its Runcorn store after an onsite cash machine swallowed his card, writes Nick Lakeman.

It was more a case of 'Very Little Help' for Dave Lawrenson after staff in the Halton Lea branch failed to warn him the machine - not owned by Tesco - was playing up.

"When I asked why it had eaten my card and they admitted it had done that to two people before me I was gobsmacked," said Dave, 25, of Brookvale.

"I said they should have put on a notice warning customers what was happening but they told me the machine belonged to the bank and it wasn't their problem."

The father-of-one was only trying to buy a few items and, left with only the change in his pocket, was rescued by a generous fellow customer who lent him a pound.

His promise of returning with the money the next day fell on deaf ears, even when he complained to a duty manager.

"They refused, saying they don't give away free things at Tesco, but I'd explained the circumstances," Dave added.

"If I'd needed baby food I wouldn't have been able to feed my son, Isaac, all day.

"I've been shopping in Tesco all my life but I'm not shopping there again."

The World's attempts to get a comment from Tesco were initially swallowed up, rather like Dave's cash card, by bureaucracy.

However we finally got hold of a spokesman, who said: "We apologise if we didn't deal with this matter as expected.

"If a card is eaten customers are advised to contact their bank as we don't always have access to these machines.

"However staff should have explained this clearly and politely and we will make sure all the store's staff are briefed on this in future."