Supermarket workers learn sign language

Suzanne Read and colleagues who work at Tesco in both Hastings and Bexhill, started the lessons a month ago and have already picked up a lot.

She said: "The union Usdaw is paying for us to go to the deaf resource centre once a week for 10 weeks and this is being done in our own time. The reason why we decided to do the course was because of the high level of people in the Bexhill and Hastings area who have hearing problems."

Mrs Read is the health and safety representative for Usdaw at her Tesco branch and said she also decided to learn sign language because one of her colleagues was hearing impaired.

She said: "There are a lot of people who come in to shop who cannot hear very well. This makes it difficult for them unless we learn how to sign. I have used it several times and customers have been grateful that we use it."

Mrs Read, Carole Robins, Cristel Gramme, Kate White and Tim Nash had learned how to sign the alphabet, most names of groceries, animals and other useful words.