Devastating snub?

According to a politics.co.uk headline, during dinner last night Mr Zuma sought to recover from a 'devastating Sainsburys snub'. Goodness me, I thought, was it Lord Sainsbury? Did he refuse to shake hands or, perhaps, spit in his face? Did the local Sainsburys refuse him admission? Did they turn down his application for a Nectar card?

 

The reality is rather more mundane.

 

"South African president Jacob Zuma finished his state visit by attending a City dinner last night, as he sought to recover from a devastating snub at a local Sainsbury's.

 

Mr Zuma, who has stayed as a guest of the Queen at Buckingham Palace and engaged in high-level talks with Gordon Brown in Downing Street, was touring the local Sainsbury's in Greenwich, south-east London, when the incident occurred.

 

Despite being flanked by a coterie of bodyguards, as well as Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King and environment secretary Hilary Benn, one elderly couple utterly failed to acknowledge him.

 

John and Catherine Przeslawski, aged 92 and 86 respectively, were instead busily engaged in choosing which cheeses to select from the cheese-counter as the presidential swarm swept past.

 

''We didn't notice anybody, we were too busy choosing our cheese, we didn't see the president at all," Mr Przeslawski said afterwards."

 

I'm not even sure that needs further comment.