TAXI driver David Hoskins was left stunned when a sales assistant refused to serve him alcohol - despite him being 61.

Mr Hoskins had visited the One Stop convenience store in Christchurch Road, Boscombe, on behalf of a severely disabled customer to buy half a bottle of vodka.

When he got to the till, the cashier asked to see some ID, so bemused David showed her his United Taxis badge.

But then the young woman refused to process the sale as he was "on duty".

Mr Hoskins quickly whipped off his tie and badge but the cashier called over the manager who also refused to serve him.

The gobsmacked taxi driver left the store empty handed and was forced to drive to another shop.

The incident happened after Mr Hoskins got a job to collect a £20 note from a customer living in a sheltered housing block in Bournemouth.

Mr Hoskins said: "The elderly man has terminal cancer so uses alcohol to numb the pain. He gave me some money and asked me to buy him a half bottle of vodka so I went to the nearest One Stop.

"I've been driving a cab for seven years and have done about 50 similar jobs for people so was happy to do it.

"I was wearing a blue shirt with a United Taxis tie and looked very presentable but the assistant refused to serve me. After asking to see my ID, she then said she could not serve a taxi driver who was on duty.

"I laughed and removed my tie and badge but she still refused. The manageress came over and backed her up - she was very frosty with me.

"I've never heard of anything so daft in my life - if you ban taxi drivers from buying alcohol then surely you have to ban van and car drivers."

A spokesman for One Stop said: "This was a response to an initiative at a local level. It is not company policy not to serve taxi drivers who are on duty."

It is believed the "initiative" was prompted by an unrelated taxi driver drinking on duty.