Man Barred From Pub For Having CP

A man with Cerebral Palsy was refused entry into a pub because doormen thought he was drunk.

Matty Thompson, 18, was enjoying a night out in Whitley Bay, County Durham, with his sister and friends when a doorman allegedly barred him from entering Breeze because of the way he was walking.

When his sister Katie, 20, objected to the bouncer’s complaint that ‘He can’t walk, he’s drunk’, the teenager was apparently asked to produce a medical card as proof of his disability.

His mother Jenette Thompson said: I’m absolutely outraged. They just can’t treat people with disabilities and learning difficulties like  that and call him names. He was very upset about it. He told me he was called names. It’s sheer ignorance on their part.

Mr Thompson says that he was immediately refused entry into the pub because of the way he was walking. One of the bouncers then contacted other nearby pubs to tell them not to let him in.

Not surprisingly, the incident has upset Mr Thompson. I’ve had similar comments made to me, so I know how he feels.

A spokesman for CP charity Scope, who I completely agree with, said: A disabled person should not be denied access to any premises or  facilities because they are disabled. Disabled people have the same right to go into pubs and clubs as anyone else. More needs to be done to get the public, and especially those who work in customer service, to truly understand and appreciate difference so that  discrimination against disabled people becomes a thing of the past.

A spokesman for Dukedom Leisure, which owns Breeze, had no comment.

Personally, I’d like to see these bouncers lose their jobs. Until that happens, I have three words to say to them. Disability Discrimination Act. That’s the national law that exists  for very good reasons. They broke it during this incident.