Store denies cash rumour on baby delivery
(Sky News)
Updated: 2005-03-29 16:53

Pregnant women have been flocking to an upmarket store after a rumour that they would get ￡500 if they gave birth in the shop.

Rumours of ￡500 voucher

Bosses at Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh have been forced to deny the "urban myth" which has been sweeping ante-natal classes and GPs' surgeries.

As the story spread, mothers-to-be were seen loitering around the floors with no intention of making any purchases.

The last straw came when women already in the early stages of labour called the store from their mobile phones en route to maternity wards to ask if the gossip was true.

A Harvey Nichols spokeswoman said the St Andrew Square store was witnessing up to four heavily-pregnant women a day wandering round in the hope that their waters will break.

"It's quite strange to see all these expectant mothers loitering with intent when we don't even have a maternity department," she said.

"But it's a rumour that we present anyone who gives birth a ￡500 voucher."

However, the spokeswoman admitted bosses would probably give a small gift to someone who had a baby in the store.

"We wouldn't be mean enough to send the woman off to the hospital without a wee present or something but I've no idea where the ￡500 idea came from," she said.

"It's like a Chinese whisper that has spiralled out of control."

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