Restaurant Fined £2,000 For Refusing Entry To Blind Man With His Guide Dog

A blind man filed a lawsuit against a restaurant after they failed to let him enter with his guide dog because he was told it would be ‘unhygienic’.

The restaurant has now forked out £2,000 to John Hardy after he won a lawsuit against Bengal Spice in Williton, Somerset.

The 66-year-old was at the restaurant with guide dog Sidney and his son in September 2021 when he was told to leave.

At one point, he claimed the staff member refused to speak to John and only spoke to his son which he says upset him.

‘I eat out quite a bit and everybody knows Sidney locally, but when you walk into somewhere new, you are anxious and hyper-aware, wondering if you will have to present your argument and explain why a guide dog is allowed into a restaurant.’

Under the Equality Act 2010, restaurants and other service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to avoid putting people with disabilities at a substantial disadvantage.

A guide dog is classed as a reasonable adjustment under the act.