S&N ordered to pay £3,000 in disability discrimination case

Pub operator Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) has been ordered to pay £3,000 after a court ruled that it had discriminated against a customer with learning difficulties.

The award is the highest ever made under the section of the Disability Discrimination Act which makes it illegal to refuse goods or services to a disabled person. The legal action was supported by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and has served to highlight licensees' responsibilities under the act.

Pub-goer Mary McKay was asked to leave the Ye Olde Valentine pub in Gant's Hill, Essex, during a visit with a worker from local charity Uniting Friends, which supports people with learning difficulties. The tribunal heard that Miss McKay skipped as she entered the pub and her companion was asked by the doorman to "keep her in order".

It was also claimed that the pub manager was abusive, and shouted to staff across the bar that the two should not be served any more drinks. In evidence, two other young people with learning difficulties recounted similar experiences.

Bert Massie, chairman of the DRC, said: "It is shocking to find that Mary was singled out and effectively barred from premises just because she has a disability. Disabled people have the right to a social life, just like anyone else, and businesses should be aware of how to treat disabled customers."

S&N spokesperson Claire Jobe said: "The manager has a duty as a licensee to ensure that incidents do not escalate. When he politely asked Miss McKay's carer to keep the noise down, as he believed that they were disrupting other customers' enjoyment, her carer became abusive and was subsequently asked to leave."