Electronics giant Currys PC World has apologised after a sign appeared at one of its stores, warning “tramps” to stop searching through its bins.
The printed sign was posted at the store in the Plas Coch retail park in Wrexham.
It read: “Attention tramps! Stop looking for valuables in our bins and start looking for a job.”
The sign was spotted by Simon Hall, who told The Daily Post: “To me as long as the homeless or whoever is looking in the bins does not make a mess I can’t see any harm in it. In this day of recycling it surely is a good thing and if they make a few quid selling what they find then fair play to them.
“I go looking for boxes and packaging for sending my eBay parcels.”
Mark Prichard tweeted the note was evidence of a “continuing theme of certain companies disrespecting homeless people,” while Maureen O’Dowd complained: “Appalling… how can they think this is acceptable.”
A spokesman for Currys PC World told Huffington Post UK: “We apologise for any offence that may have been caused to anyone who may have seen this sign at the back of our store.
“It is in no way an official notice and is not representative of the company’s or the store’s views.
“The sign has been removed and the matter is being dealt with internally.”
Nonetheless, writing on Facebook, David Cullingworth said: “Imagine putting something up as offensive as that, if it’s on your property, it’s down to you.”
The number of people sleeping on Britain’s streets has increased to a six-year high, official statistics released this month have revealed.
Rough sleeper levels have gone up 16% in the past year - and more than doubled since 2010.