Danielle Horan was wrongly accused of shoplifting toilet rolls due to a facial recognition system error at Home Bargains stores in Greater Manchester.

On May 24, 2025, while shopping in Salford, Horan was confronted by the store manager and asked to leave, prompting her to question the basis for the accusation.

The incidents occurred on May 24 and June 4, 2025, where Horan was ejected from two stores without explanation, later discovering she was falsely flagged for stealing £10 worth of items.

After being escorted out, Horan attempted to resolve the issue by contacting Facewatch and Home Bargains but received no effective response until she persisted with repeated emails.

Horan ultimately confirmed through her bank account that she had paid for the items and received an email from Facewatch acknowledging the error and stating her image would be removed from their watchlist.

The security firm Facewatch admitted the distress caused and stated that further staff training at the retailer had been undertaken after the review revealed the items were paid for.

Horan described the emotional turmoil she experienced, including anxiety and stress caused by the wrongful accusation, complicating her relationship with her elderly mother who accompanied her during the second incident.

Madeleine Stone from Big Brother Watch highlighted the growing issue of individuals being wrongly placed on facial recognition watchlists, advocating for a ban on such technology in retail settings.

The campaign group has called for a complete ban on facial recognition technology in retail, citing the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty' being undermined by algorithmic decisions.

The UK government maintains that while commercial facial recognition is legal, organizations must comply with strict data protection laws to ensure fairness and transparency.

Big Brother Watch reported receiving complaints from over 35 individuals wrongfully flagged by facial recognition systems, highlighting concerns over a lack of due process and the impact of such technology on personal rights.

The false allegation stemmed from an incident on May 8, 2025, where Horan's image was mistakenly circulated to local stores, leading to her being banned from entry.