ASDA have called in the police after a prankster caused widespread panic by announcing on the tannoy that there was a “paedophile on the loose”.
Gary Bryce was shopping at the supermarket in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, last month when he got his hands on a store microphone.
After greeting shoppers in a calm voice, he asks them to evacuate the store because there is a “paedophile on the loose”.
Concerned families can be heard screaming in the background as Gary bursts into laughter.
The 20-second clip has gone viral online, with over 141,000 views in the space of a month, but enraged parents have also hit out at the “sick” prankster.
And now Asda have confirmed that the police have been called in.
This afternoon an Asda spokeswoman said: “We’re aware of an incident, which happened on Saturday in our Asda Bearsden store.
“We have informed the police who are now looking into this matter.”
The video, taken by Gary himself, begins with a shot of the supermarket floor as he walks down an aisle.
It appears as if he knows one of the workers there, as he can be heard asking “Is it on, yeah?”
The camera pans around to his face, and he can be seen holding a store microphone as a friend in a high-vis jacket appears behind him.
Putting on a calm voice, he speaks into the device and says: “Attention valued shoppers. Please evacuate the building.
“There is a paedophile on the loose. I repeat, there is a paedophile on the loose.”
Screams and shrieks can be heard in the background as the video ends and Gary descends into fits of laughter.
Thousand of amused Scots have found the video “hilarious”, and commended Gary for the joke.
Laura Walton said: “Shouldn’t find it funny but I do.”
Naomi Brown wrote: “Haha that’s hilarious. Folk are screaming in the background.”
Rory Morgan added: “Would expect nothing less of Bearsden.”
However, some didn’t find the video quite so side splitting.
Sarah Ainsley said: “Not in the slightest bit funny. I was in Asda at this time with my little girl and I heard this.
“My heart sank. Saw other parents grab their kid’s hands in complete shock. Sick individual.”
One of Gary’s friends, James Alphonsus, wrote: “You’ll end up in the nick.”
To which Gary replied: “Arresting me on suspicion of talking through a mic…they will need to create a new charge for that.”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland confirmed that two officers visited the supermarket today (Mon) regarding the incident.
The spokeswoman said: “Police enquiries are ongoing.”
