Do Tesco require Muslims to remove burka before using fuel pumps? Fact Check

ByCraig Haley

An image spreading on social media claims that supermarket Tesco has announced that due to a new policy, they will require Muslims to remove their burka before using their petrol stations.

An example of the warning can be seen below –

POLITE NOTICE
DUE TO TESCO POLICY UNDER THE THINK 25 ACT AND FOR SAFETY REASONS. AS FROM 10/08/17 WE WILL BE NO LONGER ARMING FUEL PUMPS FOR MUSLIMS UNTIL BURKAS HAVE BEEN FULLY REMOVED PRIOR TO FILLING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

We suspect that most of our readers would have soon come to the conclusion that this message is completely nonsense, and they’d be correct. It has been clearly digitally altered, and the original message originally requested motorcyclists to remove their helmets, as you can see below.

The word ‘motorcyclist’ has been replaced by ‘Muslims’ and ‘helmet’ has been replaced by ‘burka’. The image of a motorcyclist helmet has also been crudely replaced with an image of a burka.

According to the Biker & Bike website, Tesco claimed the message about motorcyclists removing their helmets was originally put up in their Stafford store in 2017, but was soon removed for being “incorrect”. It is true, however, that certain petrol stations do require motorcyclists remove their helmets prior to filling to try and combat petrol theft.

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