Bigots only allowed? (From Times Series)

Bigots only allowed?

12:51pm Monday 8th September 2008

• Print
• Email
• Comments(1)

Yesterday I was told of a shocking incident whereby both the landlord and manager of a pub in Barnet asked a party of young people to leave the pub.

Just an everyday tale of pub life? Perhaps the group were being rowdy or had had too much to drink, or maybe the group were starting to be anti-social causing the raising of eyebrows and tut-tutting from other drinkers? Sadly none of these were so.

The group were young people with learning disabilities. They'd gone to the pub for a karaoke evening and each of them had at least a tenner to spend. Apparently the group had decided to sit by the front entrance and the landlord seemed to think that disabled people by the front door gave off the wrong image on his opening night. They were also told they were making too much noise. Oddly the DJ who was controlling the music and the karaoke was playing music loudly and holding placards up encouraging people to cheer and clap. Other customers didn't attract the attention of the landlord and manager.

The sad thing is the care worker looking after the group decided to take them out of the pub As the landlord and manager were becoming increasingly aggressive the care workers felt they had to ensure that the group stayed safe and called a halt to the night out. In this day and age it is unacceptable that a landlord thinks they can get away with it.

I hope my colleagues who sit on the licensing committee will think carefully about whether the landlord and the owners are fit and proper people to be running a pub. The young people with learning disabilities handled themselves with good manners and grace. The landlord and manager seem like oafs.