Auto shop staff sacked after leaving racist voicemail

THINKING they had hung up, two workers from an auto shop in the UK left a vile racist message on a customer’s voicemail.

A PAIR of auto shop workers have lost their jobs after accidentally leaving a vile racist message on a customer’s phone.

The dopey duo rang the man, who has an African surname, to confirm a booking with British auto centre chain Halford — but forgot to hang up the phone.

They then went on to talk about the “problem with Africans”, slamming the customer for accepting the store’s free car check and saying he was “the sort of person who would drive to Aldi for a f***ing bog roll”.

The man was shocked when he listened to the message in which a male staff member can be heard saying: “Most of the people who book this stuff in are those sorts of people”.

His female colleague then replies: “My boyfriend, he hates them African people. They are the worst when it comes to money.”

He couldn’t work out why the staff were being so rude ...

The victim, who is ironically an economics student, said: “I had to listen to the voicemail message a few times to make sure they were definitely saying what I thought they were.

“I’d already been to the store and it seemed they didn’t want to deal with me. When I heard the voicemail I realised why.”

The 20-year-old later returned to the Halfords Autocentre in Grays, Essex, to confront the pair.

He said: “The woman ran to the back of the store. I told the man I’d heard his conversation about Africans.

“He said it was normally people with funny names that book the free health check. It was like he didn’t understand what he was saying was wrong.”

A spokesman for Halfords Autocentres said: “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards racist behaviour and both colleagues were suspended pending investigation.

“Following a hearing one was dismissed and the other resigned prior to being dismissed.

“We have apologised unreservedly to the customer and have taken steps to show them that this isolated incident is completely unacceptable within our business.”

The victim was offered a free service and a set of tyres but was not satisfied, saying: “It’s like they just tried to buy me off.”