Julian Oxborough, a loyal Lidl employee with more than 10 years of service at the Wincanton store in Somerset, was dismissed after consuming a 17p bottle of water without paying for it. An employment tribunal later ruled the dismissal was fair, rejecting his claim of unfair dismissal.
The incident occurred on 19 July 2024 when Mr. Oxborough was serving a customer purchasing bottled water from a multipack that lacked a barcode. The customer swapped the bottle for one with a barcode, leaving the original bottle at the checkout. Later that day, Mr. Oxborough drank from the abandoned bottle and refilled his own drink while continuing to serve customers.
The next day, a store manager found the bottle near the checkout and suspected it had been consumed in violation of store policy. After reviewing CCTV footage, Mr. Oxborough was suspended pending an investigation into allegations of gross misconduct.
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During the investigation, Mr. Oxborough explained he was dehydrated during his shift and concerned about his health. He admitted he forgot whether he had paid for the water or had it written off, stating, “No, I think I may have forgot or can’t actually remember taking it.” He also mentioned rushing to finish his shift and believed the multipack bottles could be written off, as he had observed unpaid drinks in the staff canteen before. Although he acknowledged his actions were wrong in hindsight, he denied any intention to be dishonest.
Karina Moon, the area manager who led the disciplinary process, noted inconsistencies in his explanations, including why he did not simply use tap water. She also pointed out that Mr. Oxborough did not voluntarily report the incident within four days, despite knowing the correct procedures.
Ms. Moon concluded that Mr. Oxborough’s conduct warranted dismissal because there was no assurance the behavior would not be repeated. Consequently, he was summarily dismissed for gross misconduct.
At the employment tribunal hearing in Southampton in October 2025, Employment Judge Yallop upheld Lidl’s decision, finding it fair and justified. Mr. Oxborough’s arguments—including stress, tiredness, and concerns about his partner’s health—did not sway the tribunal.
A Lidl spokesperson stated: “We never take dismissing a long-serving colleague lightly. The tribunal has upheld that our actions were fair and followed a thorough process.” The company emphasized its strict zero-tolerance policy on unpaid consumption of stock as essential for maintaining consistent rules across all stores.