A SUPERMARKET at the centre of a homophobia row has said “everyone is welcome” as nearly 1,000 people are set to pucker up and get ready for a “kiss-in”.

Sainsbury’s in New England Street, Brighton, landed in hot water after student Annabelle Paige, 22, was told by a security guard not to kiss her girlfriend in the store after she gave her a peck on the cheek.

The story was met by outrage and The Big Consensual Kiss-In event was announced on Facebook and will be hosted by Brighton based performance artist Lydia L’Scabies.

Ms Paige, a University of Sussex student, said she was giving her girlfriend a “light kiss” when the couple visited the store on Saturday.

A mother complained about the pair to a security guard, who told them to stop or leave.

The student said she was “shocked and upset” by the incident and that she thought the guard was “joking”.

The protest is tonight at 6pm with around 1,000 supporters expected to descend upon the supermarket and start kissing each other.

A spokeswoman for Sainsbury’s however said the store welcomed the event.

She said: “We have always welcomed everyone into our stores and will do so as usual on Wednesday.”

The University of Sussex Students’ Union is also involved in the protest and will be providing stewards to help manage the crowd.

A spokesman for the union said: “This is in direct response to the abhorrent revelations that over the weekend, two women were told to stop kissing each other in the supermarket or leave.

“Sainsbury’s has apologised to the woman involved and offered to make a £100 donation to charity. However, the Students’ Union does not feel this is an adequate response.”

The union is also calling on the supermarket to introduce mandatory training on equality and diversity issues, to make a “substantial” donation to an LGBT charity and to issue a public apology.

Sainsbury’s previously issued an apology in a press statement in response to the incident.