A number of minimarkets at Dutch railway stations have blacklisted staff of Moroccan origin during peak hours, the Rotterdam daily AD reports.

According to the paper, several branches of Albert Heijn’s 'AH to go' chain have issued orders not to hire ethnic Moroccans. "No Moroccans", it says in bold letters on a list of times and days when extra staff is required.

A spokesperson for the Dutch supermarket chain expressed "extreme shock" at the news on Thursday. He emphasized that the AH To Go branches are operated by a company called Servex, which is part of Dutch Rail (NS). "Servex is responsible for its personnel policy but must meet our guidelines."

A spokesperson for Dutch Rail apologised to "everyone affected" and said measures are being taken against Servex. It was not said what would happen to the staff responsible for the emails.

An anonymous 'AH to go' worker is quoted as saying that: “There are already enough young Moroccans working here. Customers might find it threatening.”

The Dutch anti-discrimination bureau thinks it a "serious matter". It says it has written to Albert Heijn asking for an explanation and is "considering further action". The bureau is also concerned about the different age limits set for various branches. According to Albert Heijn this is also against its policy.