Peckham Hair and Cosmetics, based on Rye Lane, was hit by a mass boycott after footage emerged online of a shopkeeper “strangling” a Black woman as she tried to exit the store.

Sindho, who owns the once popular hair store, is reportedly now “destitute”, but many on social media are deeply sceptical about this claim.

The man claims he and his children are now being forced to live off bread to survive, but Companies House records show he has several stores that appear to be trading.

Sindho told the Daily Mirror: “This is going to pass and I’m going to make much more money than I did in this shop, and I’ve build 45 shops before in this market, everybody knows me.

“Once my family is safe and settled I am going to open another hair shop and these people are going to buy the same stuff from the same shop.”

Disgruntled locals, who accused the shopkeeper of racism, are refusing to buy their goods there and are reportedly even stopping others from entering the shop following a protest that forced the shop to close its doors.

The row started after a customer returned to the store seeking a refund on items that were purchased just days earlier. However, her request was declined.

Peckham Hair and Cosmetics’ no refund policy will now be thoroughly investigated.

Many customers had filed complaints with LTS and online over the policy, believing it was unfair and possibly a breach of consumer rights.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, retailers in London are legally obligated to provide a full refund if a product is faulty, misrepresented, or fails to meet its intended purpose. As a result of the law, a business that institutes a uniform no-refund policy is engaging in an unlawful practice.

“We are aware of the issues in relation to their ‘no refunds’ policy and are already in the process of investigating the allegations and advising the company accordingly, to ensure future compliance with applicable consumer protection laws,” a representative from London Trading Standards said to the The Independent.

While the policy is under investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, local policing commander for Southwark within the Metropolitan Police, is still investigating the viral choking that has been circulated online.

Many Black locals say they are often suspected of shoplifting and followed around stores.

Cleopatra Thompson, who protested the incident, says she particularly feels unsafe in Asian-owned stores.

“I’ve been followed around and watched like a hawk in these shops in South London. I don’t want to spend a minute or a penny more in these shops that don’t respect me,” she said in an interview about the incident and protest to Dazed Digital, who identified the owner in the video by name.

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