DEPARTMENT store boss Tony Brown has spoken out about a “bizarre” incident in which a customer “caked” a woman’s face in make-up in a racially-aggravated assault.

The Beales CEO said: “I have been in retail more years than I like to admit and I have never heard of anything like this before.”

The victim, an Indonesian woman in her 50s, was approached by a man at the store’s MAC make-up counter at around 3.10pm on Sunday December 9.

He offered her a free makeover and the woman believed he was a member of staff. He than “roughly caked” her face in white make-up.

Mr Brown went on: “This is something you really can’t legislate for. As soon as the staff saw what was going on they approached the man and he left the store.

“They then looked after the victim as well as they could and the police were called. It was a bizarre occurrence.”

The victim, who lives in Bournemouth, was said to be “very upset” by the incident. The make-up also caused irritation and reddening to her face.

Police have released CCTV images of a suspect but have yet to identify him.

They said inquiries are ongoing and have renewed their appeal for information about the incident, which took place in front of scores of other shoppers on the ground floor of the Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth store.

Police Constable Alex Knapp, of Bournemouth police, said: “The victim is understandably very upset by the incident. I would ask that anyone with information, or who can identify the man pictured, contacts Dorset Police.

“We take take hate crime very seriously and we are carrying out a full investigation to identify the man responsible.”

Call Dorset Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.