Wetherspoon has issued an apology following an incident where a blind customer, Tom Gray, was asked to leave a pub alongside his guide dog.
Tom, 36, from Midsomer Norton, was celebrating his daughter’s 16th birthday at The Palladium Electric when around noon on Sunday, a staff member challenged him about his guide dog, Lulu. He was asked to provide accreditation and proof of the dog’s training.
As a registered severely sight impaired individual, Tom explained that Lulu wears a labelled collar and lead displaying her Guide Dogs UK registration number. He even offered for the staff to verify the dog’s credentials with Guide Dogs UK directly. The manager, however, refused and insisted he was enforcing company policy.
READ MORE: Somerset Council Tax to Increase by Nearly £122 Annually from April
READ MORE: Eight-Year Planning Battle Ends with Approval for 112 New Homes in Taunton
Tom and his family were told to leave and were offered to take their food away, an offer they declined. He told Somerset Live, “We informed them it’s illegal to refuse entry to a guide dog under the Equality Act 2010, which protects disabled people from discrimination. Despite this, we were escorted out.”
Outside the pub, Tom took photographs of a sign stating that guide dogs are welcome, but the manager declined to acknowledge it. Tom criticised the staff’s lack of understanding of the law and called for better employee training. “We won’t be returning anytime soon,” he said.
Wetherspoon’s official policy welcomes trained guide dogs and assistance dogs accredited by Assistance Dogs UK, indicating no proof of training is required for guide dogs. Following the incident, Wetherspoon confirmed Tom was refunded for his food and that they apologized for the situation. A spokesperson stated:
“Wetherspoon welcomes all guide dogs and assistance dogs with accredited training from Assistance Dogs UK member organisations. We do not require proof for guide dogs or training details. We apologise to the customer who was refunded and asked to leave. We invite the customer to contact customer services so we can address his concerns directly.”