A PUBLIC protest mounted by a disgruntled customer has led to him being barred from a store.

Irate Comet customer John Heads was so fed up with his Hoover 1600 - which he bought for £349 seven months ago - that he decided to take his complaint direct to the Stockton store where he bought it.

He wrote a message on the appliance telling potential customers to avoid Comet, and then drove to the store.

But when store manager Graham Greenwell offered him a refund, he rejected the compromise and threatened to drive round Teesside with the washing machine for the next six months.

The row began last week after Mr Heads said the washing machine broke for the second time in seven months.

Comet states customers will only get a replacement if there are more than two faults during the first 12 months.

Mr Heads, from Elwick, Hartlepool, said: "I am a good customer of Comet and have probably spent thousands there over the years, but I will not be fobbed off.

"I did want a replacement, but now they've offered me my money back I don't want it. It is the principle that they tried to fob me off."

Store manager Mr Greenwell said: "We have refunded the machine because he was not satisfied with repairs.

"But Mr Heads is no longer welcome back as a customer because he became quite abusive to members of staff."