Harrods ejects women in traditional dress

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BRIDGEND, Wales, March 7 (UPI) -- Harrods denies a charge by a group of Welsh women who said they were kicked out of the upscale London store for wearing traditional St. David's Day outfits.

Gaynor Newton, 56, organizer of the Bridgend, Wales, group's weekend theater trip to London, said she and her group were dressed in red skirts, white aprons and black bonnets as part of their celebration of St. David's Day, a national holiday celebrating the patron saints of Wales, The Daily Telegraph, Britain, reported Thursday.

Newton said a security guard told them they had to leave Harrods because they didn't meet the store's dress code.

"The first woman security officer who stopped us was quite rude and just said we could not enter the store because we were in our national costume," Newton told the Daily Mail. "As we stood there an Asian woman in a sari and an African woman in lovely colorful robes both entered the store without a problem."

She said the group had wanted to visit the store's champagne bar during their London trip.

A Harrods spokesman apologized for the incident.

"The security guard asked for the group to wait while she double-checked it was in keeping with our dress code," he said.

"The women didn't want to wait and went to another entrance where they were admitted, as by that time the security team were aware they were wearing national dress. We certainly did not deny them entry and always welcome all visitors in national costume. We apologize for any confusion."