They are acting like “Lidl Hitlers”

COMMENTS made on a social networking site by an Arun councillor about a newly-opened Littlehampton supermarket have been branded “inappropriate” and “disgraceful”.

Colin Oliver-Redgate, who represents Ferring on the district council, made reference to Lidl’s German origins, before accusing it of employing “little Hitlers”, in remarks on the Littlehampton Gazette’s Facebook profile on Saturday.

Referring to last week’s story on residents in New Road getting tickets for parking in Lidl’s car park, he wrote that the fines were “outrageous”, complaining that they were “inflicted on residents who have been living in Littlehampton for much longer than Lidl has been there”.

Mr Oliver-Redgate added: “The local economy of Littlehampton needs its residents to spend locally, and not to be deprived of £90, a week’s shopping, because some German discount store thinks it can employ a bunch of little Hitlers to create financial misery on the people it should be encouraging to become new customers.”

Dr James Walsh, president of Littlehampton Twinning Association, 
said he hoped that residents in Littlehampton’s German twin town, Durmersheim, would not see the comment, which, he said, would cause offence.

“I think it is quite uncalled for and a disgrace, and I think he should be ashamed,” he added.

“I can’t imagine anyone in the town would support that wholly inappropriate, outrageous view, especially for someone who does not even live in Littlehampton.”

Mr Oliver-Redgate defended his statement, though, and claimed anyone who was offended by it was being “over-sensitive”.

“It is up to people how they react to it. I would not have made that comment if Lidl had not been so inconsiderate towards the people of Littlehampton.

“If Lidl are going to hand out tickets to local residents in a totally inconsiderate fashion, they have only themselves to blame for people making remarks like that.”

He added that should the supermarket review its procedures with reference to residents parking in its car park, he would happily withdraw the comment.

A Lidl spokeswoman said that the store, which opened in July, had received a “great deal of support from the local community”.