Spirit Group in pensioner cap row

Spirit Group has defended itself against accusations that it banned a pensioner from his local for wearing a flat cap.

John Lalor, 71, who lives near the Jolly Falstaff pub in Warrington, Cheshire, criticised the company after he was refused service when he failed to remove his cap.

Mr Lalor complained: "I thought it was a joke. I asked for a pint and they said 'sorry but we can't serve you if you wear that'."

The pub introduced a "no hat rule" because of problems in identifying people on CCTV.

A spokeswoman for Spirit said: "Our policy to ask people to remove their headgear was introduced to make the pub a more welcoming and secure environment for our customers. Lots of our younger customers have removed their headgear without fuss, and most of our older customers feel more comfortable and less intimidated.

"We never had any intention to cause offence and would like to make it clear that John Lalor was never barred from the Jolly Falstaff. In fact, he is welcome in the pub anytime."