A mother enjoying a meal out with her red-haired toddler was left speechless when a stranger walked over to the child and said ‘If I had a ginger baby, I would drown it.’
Tasha Kneen, 26, was having a Wetherspoon lunch with her mother and 16-month-old daughter Ruby-Mae after some Christmas shopping when she was confronted by a woman in her 20s.
After her cruel comment about the youngster’s ginger locks, Ms Kneen says she would’ve ‘gone mad’ at the blonde drinker if it wasn’t for the baby being there.
Tasha Kneen (pictured left), 26, was having a Wetherspoons lunch with her mother and 16-month-old daughter Ruby-Mae (pictured right) after some Christmas shopping when she was confronted by a woman in her 20s
Ms Kneen, of Bulwell in Nottingham, said: ‘It really upset me. I went off the rails. I said ‘how could you say that about a little baby that can’t defend herself?’
‘One of the managers asked what the problem was, I explained, the manager went into the kitchen and came out with someone else and asked her to leave.’
The 26-year-old was ordering food at The Joseph Else on Nottingham’s South Parade when the woman made the comment to her mother.
She added: ‘I came back over to the table and knew something had happened.
‘My mum just told me to sit down and then told me what the woman had said.
‘I was furious but it was my daughter who stopped me from going mad.
Ms Kneen, of Bulwell in Nottingham, said: ‘It really upset me. I went off the rails. I said ‘how could you say that about a little baby (pictured) that can’t defend herself?’
‘I didn’t want her to see me getting angry because it would upset her.
‘I have never experienced anything like that before – the only comments I have are compliments on her hair colour.
‘I couldn’t believe that someone would say something like that about anyone let alone a baby.’
Despite the offender being chucked out immediately, the mother also decided to leave, claiming she will not be back in a hurry for fear of bumping into her again.
The 26-year-old added: ‘I was furious but it was my daughter who stopped me from going mad’
She said: ‘I was too upset [to stay]. I understand the manager helped but if there’s that kind of people in that place I thought just leave.’
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon confirmed the incident took place.
He said: ‘We can categorically state that the lady with the child was not asked to leave the pub.
‘The manager dealt with the situation very well and the lady who made the comment about the child was asked to leave.
‘We do not condone such behaviour in our pubs.’
Ms Kneen was ordering food at The Joseph Else on Nottingham’s South Parade (pictured) when the woman made the comment to her mother. A Wetherspoon spokesman confirmed the incident took place and said the manager ‘dealt with it very well’