A MAN has claimed he was refused entry to Greenock job centre because he was carrying a bottle of water.
Bob Neeson, 57, said he was made to feel like a 'terrorist' by staff at Jobcentre Plus in Dalrymple Street after being told he couldn't take the small container of supermarket-brand water inside.
Bob said: "It was utterly ridiculous. The bottle was clearly water.
"I had just bought it 15 minutes before in Tesco and it had the shop's label on it. I was taking a drink from it as I walked up and went to go inside to sign on.
"It was then I was stopped by two men and a woman at the door. They said I couldn't take the water inside. I laughed because I thought they were just joking, but they were quite insistent.
"I asked them why, but they wouldn't give me an answer. It was a ridiculous carry-on. If this is the latest security measures they have brought in then the world has really gone mad.
"It felt like I was trying to going through security at Glasgow Airport. I was treated like a terrorist."
Bob only recently began signing on after being made redundant from his position at a shop in Gourock where he had worked for around a year.
A Jobcentre spokeswoman said: "Our top priority at Greenock Jobcentre is to help people back to work. We give them the support they need and create a welcoming office for them to get help.
"To keep the office clean and tidy, we ask all our customers not to bring any food or drink into the building."
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 01 Mar 10
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