Danielle Horan Wrongly Accused of Shoplifting by Facial Recognition at Home Bargains

June 14, 2025 – Danielle Horan, a businesswoman from Greater Manchester, was left humiliated and anxious after being wrongly accused of shoplifting due to a facial recognition system error at two Home Bargains stores. The incident has raised fresh concerns over the use of such technology in UK retail.

Ejected Without Explanation

On May 24, Danielle was escorted out of the Home Bargains branch on Regent Road, Salford. “At first I thought it was a joke,” she said. “The manager told me to leave, and everyone was staring at me. I was embarrassed and confused.”

With no reason given, Danielle attempted to contact the facial recognition provider Facewatch and Home Bargains, but her emails went unanswered.

Second Incident in Fallowfield

Just days later, on June 4, Danielle visited another Home Bargains store in Fallowfield, accompanied by her 81-year-old mother. “As soon as I walked in, staff were radioing each other,” she recalled. “They surrounded me and asked me to leave again.”

She was deeply stressed—not just for herself but for her elderly mother. “My anxiety was really bad,” she said. “I felt sick for days. I kept questioning myself, wondering if I’d done something wrong.”

Mistaken Identity: She Had Paid

Eventually, after persistent efforts, Danielle discovered she had been wrongly accused of stealing £10 worth of toilet rolls on May 8. Her image was mistakenly added to a facial recognition watchlist, leading to her being banned from entering multiple stores.

She later confirmed through her bank statement that she had indeed paid for the items. Facewatch eventually admitted the error and suspended both involved Home Bargains stores from using its system.

Response and Public Backlash

Facewatch acknowledged the mistake, saying: “We understand how distressing this must have been. The retailer has since undergone additional staff training.”

Home Bargains declined to comment.

Facial Recognition Controversy

The case highlights growing criticism of facial recognition technology. Big Brother Watch, a UK civil liberties group, said it had received over 35 similar complaints of innocent people being flagged as criminals.

Spokesperson Madeleine Stone said: “There’s no due process. People are being treated as guilty based on an algorithm.”

The group has called for a total ban on the use of facial recognition by retailers.

In response, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the technology must follow strict data protection rules. “No one should find themselves in this situation,” a spokesperson added.