Mother-of-three Gillian Hird saw red when she received a catalogue from cash and carry firm Tradex - containing a claim she was a thief.

The 29-year-old couldn't believe her eyes when she read her name and address on the package - and then the words "Banned shoplifter. Do not admit".

Now she is taking legal action to sue the firm for defamation.

"I have never shoplifted in my life and I have never been in trouble with the police in my life. I haven't even had a parking ticket," she said.

"I was completely shocked and I couldn't believe it.

"I hate to think how many people have read it, starting with the postman.It's disgusting. I want to know how it got there and why.

"I rang Tradex and they more or less called me a liar. I told them what I had got and they told me they wouldn't do anything like that and they wouldn't send me a Tradex Trader anyway."

Mrs Hird, of Gillingham Green, Holme Wood, said she last went to the Tradex store in Pudsey five years ago to buy clothes for her new baby girl Chelsea.

"Sometime ago my car got stolen with my card in it and I never bothered going back to get another one."

Her solicitor, Jaroslaw Stachiw of Bradford firm Stachiw and Bashir, said: "I think it's abhorrent the way Tradex have treated my client.

"She has never been in trouble with the police and she certainly is not a thief. To be called a shoplifter has considerably distressed her.

"Tradex seem to enjoy making profits from their customers but in this case they have shown no mutual respect by defaming my client.

"I don't even know why they bothered sending her a catalogue in the first place if they thought she was a banned shoplifter."

A Tradex spokesman refused to comment.

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