Restaurant bars blind man's guide dog

Eddie and three-and-a-half-year-old Labrador/retriever cross Darcy walked into trouble at the Red Pepper Chinese restaurant in Rotherham town centre last Saturday night.

“I said it’s against the law to refuse me entry and they said I couldn’t come in with the dog for a meal but they would sell me a takeaway,” angry Eddie (33), from Swinton, told the Advertiser.

“They said I could leave the dog in the bar area, but that’s just not practical.

“I said if you won’t let me in the restaurant I don’t want your takeaway.

“I didn’t go into Rotherham town centre to buy a takeaway, I went out for a meal.”

Should Darcy have been allowed in the restaurant? Use the "write a comment" button to post your views.

He claimed he had made a booking for Saturday at Red Pepper on the preceding Wednesday, although the restaurant deny this.

But Eddie, a call centre worker of Fitzwilliam Street, was in for a bigger shock when he rang two other Chinese restaurants and they also told him he could not take his guide dog and gave no reason.

Eddie said: “I feel very strongly about this and it was not just one restaurant.

“I’ve had Darcy 18 months and I’ve had a guide dog since I was 18 and I can only think of two incidents in those 15 years where I’ve been refused entry like this.”

Eddie, who was with a sighted friend, ended up having a “lovely meal” at an Italian restaurant.

“It was a bit later than we expected. After being at Red Pepper at 8pm we eventually sat down to eat at 9.30pm,” Eddie went on.

“This has really saddened me. I go everywhere with my dog and usually there is no problem in this day and age.

“The law on guide dogs in restaurants changed in the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995, so it’s well established.

“This is very, very unusual.”

But the manager of the Red Pepper on Wellgate, Mr Sai Lee, said a family already at the restaurant who had a small baby which suffered from asthma complained about the dog.

“I tried to help the man as much as I could, but a party of 15 in the restaurant had a small baby and I asked them if they minded having the dog there,” he said.

“But they objected and said the baby had asthma and the dog affected it.

“Mr Kitchen had not booked a table. There was nothing in the book. I said I could offer him a takeaway but he refused.

“It’s not like me to turn away customers, but what was I supposed to do—turn away 15 people or serve a table of two? The family said they would leave if the dog stayed.

“I tried to assist as much as I could. But at this time we need all the business we can get.”

Mr Kitchen said he did not know the reason at the time, but he and his friend could have sat in another part of the restaurant.

According to the law it is unlawful for a restaurant to refuse entry to a person with a guide dog and the only exception is a medical condition for which a certificate has to be shown.

But a representative of the Royal National Institute for the Blind suggested that Mr Kitchen take further legal advice regarding the precise circumstances of the case.

BUDGET CUTS: Rotherham Renaissance projects under threat.

Progress for Rotherham's troubled Children's Services department: VIDEO.

Man in court on attempted murder charge.

Ronnie starts talks over Alf's future