Mrs Parncutt told the guard her hood was hiding her messy hair

Kay Parncutt was challenged over the "hoodie" - clothing often linked with thugs - at a Tesco store in Swindon.

She said: "I told him 'no, my hair's a mess'. He didn't think it was very funny, but I did. But I did oblige."

Tesco said: "Although our security guard's intention was good, it seems as if he was a little over-zealous."

Mrs Parncutt, a teaching assistant at Longleaze School in Wooton Bassett said: "I couldn't believe he was talking to me. I'm supposed to look like a nasty thug?"

Hooded tops have been banned from some shopping centres and schools because they conceal the face and have been associated with crime and anti-social behaviour.

The company said it did not have a hoodie ban in its stores, and added: "We are sorry if this made Mrs Parncutt feel uncomfortable in any way.