A LOCAL man was asked to leave a Midsomer Norton restaurant with his family after being refused service due to his guide dog.

Visually-impaired resident Tom entered Wetherspoons in the town on Sunday, March 8, with his family to enjoy a meal together.

Despite being able to order food, the family was questioned by a member of the Wetherspoons team to prove evidence that the guide dog was indeed genuine.

The staff member asked the family to show him the dog’s accreditation as an assistance dog.

Tom’s wife Helen explained: “We showed the staff member the guide dog's lead that says Guide Dogs, her harness and her collar that shows her registration number with Guide Dogs and invited him to call Guide Dogs to verify that she was genuine.

“But he did not and insisted that it was company policy for us to provide proof of accreditation.

“We pointed out that it is against the law to refuse entry to a guide dog because it constitutes illegal discrimination against a blind or visually impaired person.”

The family were escorted out of the restaurant and to add insult to injury, the staff member then offered the family the food they had ordered to take away which they declined.

Helen added: “I suggest Wetherspoons train their staff better. We will not be returning there any time soon and have notified our MP as well as Guide Dogs.”

A Guide Dogs spokesperson commented: “The guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission is clear: ‘Assistance dog users should not be refused a service simply because they do not have an ID book.'

“While there are understandable checks needed for travel abroad, we expect every-day shops and businesses to take a common-sense approach.

“Guide dogs, like other types of assistance dogs, enable people to live independently, and disabled people should not be forced to justify their presence every time they use a business or service.”

A spokesperson for Wetherspoons said: “Wetherspoon welcomes all guide dogs and also assistance dogs with accredited training from Assistance Dogs UK member organisations into our pubs.

“We do not require proof for guide dogs, or details of training.

“We apologise to the customer who was provided with a refund and asked to leave the premises. If the customer would like to contact our customer services team, we will address his concerns directly.”

The Equality Act 2010 legislation covers assistance dog laws in the UK. It recognises assistance dogs as a crucial auxiliary aid for disabled individuals and protects individuals from discrimination based on disability.

Under the Act, disabled individuals who rely on assistance dogs are granted specific rights that protect their access to public places, goods, services, and facilities.

Refusing entry to an assistance dog without a legitimate reason is considered a form of discrimination under the Act, and according to Assistance Dogs UK: “There is no official registration or certification process for assistance dogs in the UK so there is no legal ‘proof’ that you can ask for from someone who is accompanied by an assistance dog.”