The assistant manager of an EE mobile phone shop has claimed “Jewish people are very arrogant”.
Daniel Reid made the comment after a staff member at his Tottenham Hale, north London, store was accused of turning away Jewish customers.
Shoppers who tried to claim a free phone charger as part of an offer were told the device was out of stock — before watching non-Jewish customers walk out with one minutes later.
Mr Reid, who strongly denied the claims, said: “There is no discrimination in our business. I am black and Christian.
“I am not being funny, Jewish people are very arrogant but we serve them to the best of our ability. I do find them arrogant.”
He said one customer was refused the charger last Thursday because he did not show staff a confirmation text.
Mr Reid said: “He kept saying: ‘Is it because I am a Jew?’ He was trying to force the situation and pull the race card. It is nothing to do with his religion. It was the fact that he did not have the text.”
But the strictly Orthodox customer, who gave his name only as Sam, said: “Of course I had the text. He told me there were no power bars. I saw something fishy going on.”
Yehude Filip said he went to the shop on the same day. After being told there were no chargers he waited.
“I watched a non-Jewish man come and take one. Four other Jewish people called me and told me the same thing had happened to them.”
A Community Security Trust spokesman said a number of calls had been received “alleging discrimination against visibly Jewish customers”.
Shulem Stern, a volunteer at Jewish security group Shomrim, said: “People fall victim to these things all the time and just take it on the chin. We helped them report it to the police.”
An EE spokesperson said: “We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind at EE. The reported incident in the store and the subsequent comments are wholly unacceptable and we are investigating as a matter of urgency.”