War veteran, 82, is sacked by B&Q and marched out of the store 'after leaving his till open for three minutes'

.Ivor Smith was marched out of the store where he has worked for 12 years

• .Pensioner claims bosses had grown frustrated with him becoming 'slow'
• .B&Q argued he left gave customers 'potential access' to an unattended till
• .The war veteran campaigned with B&Q for pensioners' work rights in 2009

By JENNIFER SMITH FOR MAILONLINE

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Ivor Smith, 82, was said he was marched out of the store where he has worked for 12 years

An 82-year-old war veteran has been sacked from his job at B&Q and marched out of the store 'like a criminal' after allegedly leaving his till open for three minutes. 

Ivor Smith, who fought in the brutal Malayan conflict of the 1950s and 60s, took up work at the store in Parkhead, Glasgow, 12 years ago and has been hailed as an exemplary employee throughout his time there. 

But the pensioner found himself marched out of the job when he allegedly left his till unattended and 'open to customers' for less than five minutes. 

Mr Smith, a grandfather of 25, was moved from his role as a store greeter to work on the tills when a forklift ran over his foot, breaking his toes. 

He claims bosses grew frustrated with the pace at which he was working, with younger employees able to count cash more quickly. 

During an appraisal, he said management 'complained' that he was 'getting a bit slow'. 

When a customer asked him for change of £200 last summer, Mr Smith said he took time to carefully count the money in his till. 

However bosses say he gave customers 'potential access' to the cash and he was marched out. 

'I was escorted out by security as if I was a common criminal and told I was not allowed to speak to any other members of staff at all,' he told the Daily Record. 

'When one of my family took my uniform back, a female member of staff burst into tears because she knew I was forced to leave.' 

Mr Smith was among pensioners taken on by B&Q after turning 70 as part of an effort to give job opportunities to the elderly.

In 2009 he worked alongside the company on a campaign to see the EU age of retirement abolished. 

Speaking at the time, he said he was grateful for his work at the B&Q which allowed him to make money without ravaging his pension.  

He is currently involved in an employment tribunal against the company which prides itself on giving work opportunities to pensioners. 

While it was claimed his till was £700 short, the tribunal heard the company was not holding Mr Smith responsible for the shortfall.  

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The great-grandfather (pictured above at his employment tribunal) said he was made to feel like 'a criminal' 

A B&Q spokesman declined to comment on the case this morning but boasted of its track record in employing the over 65s. 

'We can confirm this case is ongoing but cannot say anything about it specifically that might prejudice the legal process,' a spokesman told MailOnline. 

'B&Q have a strong track record of employing older workers.

'We removed the compulsory retirement age in the mid-1990s and more than 30 per cent of our current employees are over 50.' 

B&Q PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING FREE FROM AGE-RELATED DISCRIMINATION 

B&Q has long prided itself on its commitment to the older generation.  

In 1989, B&Q conducted an experiment by staffing one of its stores employees aged over 50. 

After recording a surge in profits by 18 per cent, the company did away with its compulsory retirement age in the coming years after seeing good results among an older workforce.   

Today it boasts that more than 30 per cent of its workforce is over 50 and the company is cited throughout Government reports on older workers.

It was one of the founding members of the Employers Forum on Age and in 2013 celebrated the 90th birthday of one of its workers.  

Promoting the company's ethos of 'a philosophy of attitude not age', Ian Cheshire, B&Q's chief executive, said in 2006: 'There are clear business benefits to employing a workforce that is age diverse and reflects the customer profile.

'We have found that older workers have a great rapport with the customers, as well as a conscientious attitude and real enthusiasm for the job.' 

Many of B&Q's elderly staff are given roles as greeters, a position which sees them welcoming customers to the store and offering directions or advice upon their arrival.  

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The pensioner started working at B&Q when he was 70 as a means of making extra money (file image above)