A BOURNEMOUTH nurse has hit out at cosmetic company Lush after she was refused service for trying to buy too many items.

Cynthia Wang, 43, said she was left upset and confused after the manager told her she was not allowed to bulk buy their products.

The hospital nurse, who has lived in England for 13 years, wanted to buy around 30 soaps and shampoos to take back to China as gifts for friends and family members.

But when she visited the Old Christchurch Road shop last Monday, she was told she could only buy 10 items per visit. She returned the following day to try and buy another 10 but was told she could only have two.

Cynthia said she then tried to clarify the company's policy with the manager and claims she was told she could only buy 10 items every two months.

Lush have stood by their actions and said their policy is in place to protect their brand and stop any resale of their products, particularly in China where products sold at markets can be seized and tested on animals.

Cynthia, who lives in Bournemouth town centre, said: "I go back to China quite often and often take back Lush products, along with those from the Body Shop and Clarks, because these are things you cannot buy over there.

"This is never happened before and there is nothing on display explaining their policy. It is a joke and it is so unfair. It felt very personal.

"I feel like I am being discriminated against because I love Lush and my friends love Lush. I have done nothing wrong, how dare they make out that I have?"

Hilary Jones, ethics director at Lush, said: "Like so many other brands, we have a no resale policy so if we think someone's buying multiples of something our staff are empowered to say no."

She said this was to protect their brand, to ensure goods were sold in optimum condition but also to prevent any of their products being tested on animals.

"We have particular concerns about products being sold in China because the Government there has the right to take products being offered for sale and test them themselves.

"The one red line in the sand for us is animal testing, we won't risk that under any circumstances. It would undermine everything we stand for if our products were tested on animals by a third party."