'Special checkout chair' blamed for five Asda workers' pregnancies

The five friends are all colleagues at Asda's Mount Pleasant store in Hull - and their manager even thought the group were playing a joke when the final mum-to-be announced she was expecting.

Rachel Hurley, 30, Katie Mell, 40, Kelsey McGill, Sarah Cranswick and Kirstie Appleyard, all 26, all have babies due in the coming months - and have all sat at the same checkout during their shifts.

The women have worked at the supermarket for over 40 years between them - and have been amusing their colleagues with lunchtime cravings including pineapple, pickled onions and vanilla milkshakes.

Two of them, Sarah and Kirstie, have even been best friends since secondary school.

“Everyone at work keeps asking what water fountain we’ve all been drinking out of but we just laugh and say that it’s down to ‘the special checkout chair’ and whoever sits on it will be next,” said first-time mum Sarah.

Duty manager Ady Dudding added:

“It was quite an eventful couple of months with the five of them coming forward to let management know about their good news. It got to a point where I thought Kirstie, who’s due last, was having me on after the other four had told me.

“They’re such a great bunch and will be missed when they’re all on maternity leave but we look forward to the days where we’ll get to meet the new additions to the wider Asda family.”

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