Pub told woman with MS: ‘We don’t serve disableds’

A POPULAR London pub has been forced to issue an apology after a member of staff told a woman with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that “we don’t do disableds”.

Andy Smart was shocked when his sister Ros, who requires use of a wheelchair, was refused service at The Plough in Bloomsbury on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Smart expressed his anger on Twitter, saying that the “manager” of the Greene King pub confirmed that “they don’t serve disabled people”.

Many people replied to the post including Irvine Welsh, the Trainspotting author, who declared that he would no longer use the bar, which regularly attracts creative artists.

The pub issued a statement on Facebook blaming the refusal on a “miscommunication”.

It read: “I discussed the incident with the team members involved thoroughly and believe there was a miscommunication which we truly apologise for.”

But yesterday morning, Mr Smart said that his sister is still awaiting an apology and called for the relevant staff to face disciplinary action. The Equality Act gives legal protection to people who are discriminated against at work, when buying goods or accessing services.

David Martin, CEO of the MS Trust, said: “I’m sure that it’s not Greene King’s policy to discriminate against disabled people, but in case they aren’t sure. People with MS, which often can’t be seen, are automatically protected by the Equality Act 2010. We hope that

‘The Plough are extremely saddened by what has happened and have apologised’

Greene King now do all they possibly can to educate staff on disability and ensure this doesn’t happen in the future.”

A spokesman for Greene King said: “The Plough are extremely saddened by what has happened and have apologised.

“We have investigated the incident, including reviewing the CCTV footage of the visit and speaking to the team members on duty yesterday, as well as the pub manager, who was not working at the time.”