A Reading retail worker has issued a plea to Christmas shoppers calling for them to be kind to staff after being shouted at by customers. 

The employee, who is 17 and a full-time carer for her mum, said she has been left stressed out and suffering panic attacks after encountering a number of difficult customers. 

Sharing a passionate appeal to Reading residents and the wider public, she is begging them not to take their stress out on shop staff. 

The youngster, who is now sharing her message with The Chronicle, said: "I know it’s coming up to Christmas and it’s really stressful for a lot of people. But please stop taking it out on retail workers.

"I’m a full time carer for my mum, I’m also at college full time and I work four days a week just to be able to eat at the end of the day."

She said how she keeps having 'horrible customers' wanting to complain to managers. She wrote: "Someone the other day just told me to put more change in the till - someone hadn’t cashed in right but [it wasn't] me. I said I couldn’t just do that as I have no change on me and he complained to my manager about me.

"Then about 10 minutes later, a woman shouted at me to find her a shoe. I told her I’ll go and get a scanner and help. Then as I came back, she was already talking to my manager and complaining.

"Then I'm dealing with teenagers coming in and sitting down with McDonald’s and being loud," she added. 

The employee continued: "Then I had someone shouting at me because I asked them if they wanted a bag, they said no before deciding they did want one then shouted at me for charging them for it. It is the law."

The worker said: "I love my job, and for every horrid customer there is always 100 lovely ones. But at the end of the day, we are all human. I’m extremely stressed at the moment I don’t even want to go in. Especially when I could be at home with my mum."

The carer added: "I know I get paid to deal with that stuff but with the current climate of the world. Kindness is needed more than ever."

She ended her plea by saying: "I know everything is tough right now but please just think before you say or do something - retail workers are human too. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I can for myself. And I promise you I am trying my best.

"I’m having daily panic attacks and it’s so busy I can’t get off the shop floor to take a break."

The worker's message was shared in a community online group and met with sympathy.

Someone replied saying: "Retail at this time of year is brutal, I really feel for you. I hope your managers are supportive."

While another added: "You don’t get paid to deal with that, and you should not have to deal with that kind of behaviour at work. People are angry and stressed right now but there’s no need to take it out on others." 

And someone else wrote: "I've worked in retail same shop for 35 years. Some customers are wonderful and they can make your day. But there are the few who think you are their servant."