A man in Swindon has been left horrified after discovering the ‘filthy’ state of the till dividers at his local Asda supermarket.

Stephen McKeown has been going to the Asda at the Orbital Shopping Park every week since moving to Swindon three years ago.

“I popped into Asda yesterday and picked up a plastic divider to put behind my shopping on the conveyor belt and I wished I had been wearing gloves,” he remarked.

“It was absolutely filthy! I believe it was a combination of fingerprints and perhaps something spilt as well but it wasn’t just the one divider as several were just as dirty.”

Swindon Advertiser: The dividers were found in the Asda shop at the Orbital Shopping Park in Swindon.The dividers were found in the Asda shop at the Orbital Shopping Park in Swindon. (Image: Google Maps)

Stephen, who lives in Haydon Wick, recalled how careful supermarkets had been throughout the Covid pandemic to ensure hygienic practice and was left all the more baffled because of this.

“After Covid I thought we were all pretty used to practising better hygiene but clearly not Asda,” he said.

“It is a place that is selling food and therefore you expect it to be a hygienic environment but it's disgraceful that a leading UK supermarket should put public health in danger with slack hygiene practices such as this.”

The 60-year-old felt the need to have a deep clean upon leaving the shop after fearing the level of exposure he had to unknown germs on the divider.

Swindon Advertiser: The divider appears to be dirty and Stephen believes it is a mixture between fingerprints and spilt products.The divider appears to be dirty and Stephen believes it is a mixture between fingerprints and spilt products. (Image: Stephen McKeown)

“I'm not particularly germophobic but one has to apply common sense,” added Stephen.

“I scrubbed my hands as soon as I got home to reduce the chances of picking something up. This was one of the tills near the east door. Just awful.”

Despite being somewhat of a regular in the North Swindon branch of Asda, Stephen was left surprised at what he had witnessed.

“I shop there several times a week but I have never noticed it before. It was shocking,” he said.

“It affects a lot of vulnerable people still and we need to keep each other safe!”

Swindon Advertiser: Stephen had to go home and thoroughly clean his hands out of panic as to what he might have contracted from the divider.Stephen had to go home and thoroughly clean his hands out of panic as to what he might have contracted from the divider. (Image: Stephen McKeown)

Responding to Stephen's claims, an Asda spokesperson said: “We have robust cleaning processes in place ensure that our stores and tills are clean and tidy, so that customers have a positive experience when they shop with us.

“Whilst we’ve received no similar complaints at this store, we would ask that if any customer has a concern that they make one of our colleagues aware so they can look into it.”