TEMPERS boiled over when the milk ran out at a Bridport café.

Angry customers were left frothing when staff at Costa Coffee said they were not allowed to buy more – even though Waitrose was just across the road.

They claimed corporate red tape barred them from using the West Street supermarket to get fresh supplies – because it ‘cost-a’ too much.

“Some got quite shirty about it,” admitted a spokesman for the franchise this week.

Amongst the Sunday afternoon customers was London-based video producer Jake Lanning who missed out on his cappuccino.

He said he could hardly believe it when he was told he could only have black or a milk-free beverage.

“I pointed to the open Waitrose opposite and asked had it occurred to anybody to go and buy some for the convenience of their customers,” he said.

“The barista looked like I had not been the first to ask the question and replied, ‘We are under contract from Costa and we are prevented from purchasing our milk supplies from any other source other than the Costa approved suppliers.”

Mr Lanning said he was staggered to learn this was because they would make less profit.

He said: “I pointed out that making a few pence less on each beverage would surely be preferable than not being able to sell the beverage in the first place.”

Mr Lanning said that while using his laptop computer to send a complaint to the franchise owner – Whitbread PLC – 12 people were turned away because of the lack of milk .

He added that the two staff on duty put up ‘No Milk’ notices on the door.

Stewart Townley, assistant manager, at Bridport Costa Coffee said that as part of the franchise they were only allowed to buy their milk from Countrylife in Weymouth.

He said that getting it from Waitrose would be against their contract and muck up their accounts.

Mr Townley added: “We had a couple of people who were quite angry and could not believe we did not have any cow’s milk.

“Some got quite shirty."

But he said customers were offered soya milk instead – a healthy option which some agreed to try and enjoyed.

He also pointed out that it was only about an hour before their 5pm closing time and Waitrose was about to shut opposite.

A Bridport pub got the cold shoulder – when it ran out of ice.

Again company rules meant the Greyhound in East Street, owned by Wetherspoons, was unable to buy in supplies from local stores. Their ice making machine broke down twice leaving them without any ‘rocks’ for around a fortnight.

Company spokesman Eddie Gershon said for them it was a health and safety issue.

“We run our own ice machines in all our pubs and use expensive bottled water.

“If there was any problem – say someone became ill – we can always trace this back.

“If we bought ice in from a local store we would not be able to do that and this is something we take seriously.”