JUST two days ago, The Press told the story of a two-year-old who was banned from a shop for wearing a hooded top.

Now the astonishment needle points in the opposite direction, towards 87-year-old Jack Archer, who was asked to prove his age when buying alcohol.

And Jack, who has twice been Lord Mayor of York, is not alone. A number of other venerable citizens well into retirement have been queried about their age at Morrison's supermarket in Acomb.

Jack's age-defying moment came when he took a bottle of sherry to the checkout girl, who wanted to know if he was over 18. The same scenario faced Audrey Sawyer, who is 79, when she bought a bottle of fizzy wine.

Don Parlabean, a mere 70, was also asked for identification when buying alcohol at Morrisons - something which, as chairman of York Older People's Assembly, he has branded as "ridiculous".

It was clearly over the top for the Monkton Road Stores to treat a toddler as if he were a trainee owner of an ASBO. Yet the store has had problems in the past and introduced the "no hoods" rule for reasons of safety and security.

Over in Acomb, Morrisons has also had its difficulties, especially with teenagers trying to buy booze. So assistants found to have accidentally sold alcohol to the under-aged have been told to ask the age of all customers buying alcohol.

In both of these cases, the missing component appears to be common sense. Surely a toddler being taken to a shop on a chilly January day should be able to keep his hood up - much as pensioners should be able to buy their favourite tipple without being asked to prove their age.