A supermarket in Britain refused to sell wine to a man sporting a head of white hair because the clerk couldn't verify he was older than 21.

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He is, by a lot.

And 72-year-old Tony Ralls said he would have provided proof if the checkout clerk and manager had shown a sense of humor about the matter, the BBC reported.

The clerk at Morrisons in West Kirby demanded Ralls prove he was old enough to buy his two bottles of wine. The grandfather said he refused to confirm he was over 21 because it was a "stupid question."

Ralls then asked to see the manager, who returned the wine back to the shelf. Ralls left, but not before getting a complaint form.

"I applaud any efforts to stop kids being served and standing on street corners getting drunk. But this was just totally stupid," Ralls said.

A Morrisons spokesman said the chain takes precautions against selling alcohol to underage drinkers seriously, and "to further limit any element of doubt staff at the West Kirby store are required to ask anyone buying alcohol to confirm that they are over 21."