The chief executive of the charity Guide Dogs said he felt “publicly humiliated” when he and his guide dog Faldo were illegally told to leave a Marks & Spencer store in west London.
Dave Kent, 62, a charity chief executive who has been blind since he was 18, said he had been asked three times to take the Golden Retriever out of the Mortlake department store last Friday.
He said the incident looked like a “nut kick” and highlighted the continuing problem of blind and partially sighted people who have been denied entry or eviction because of their guide dogs.
A study of guide dogs found that three-quarters of guide dog owners were illegally diverted from public buildings.
M&S apologized to Kent and admitted that his security team had made a mistake by asking him to leave. Kent wrote to M&S CEO Steve Rowe, urging the company to inform its security team of their legal obligation to allow free access to guide dogs and their owners.
Kent was shopping for shorts and other summer clothes with a friend when they were stopped on the way to the checkout and asked to leave. At the time, Faldo was apparently wearing his guide dog belt, Kent said.
When Kent stood his ground, the guard twice insisted on taking the dog out of the store. When he asked to see the store manager, he received an apology and an offer for a free drink.
Speaking about the incident, Kent said: “A cup of tea. I just thought you weren’t protecting me. ” He left the store without buying his holiday shorts.
He said: “Every time it happens, it’s a kick in the nuts. All I want to do is go to Marks & Spencers and do what any sighted person would do during their day. And I want to do it without hindrance. I’m tired of these guards.
“M&S is very aware of its obligations under the obligation of equality. But the problem arises with guide dogs with these third-party security agencies that they hire. They are probably on a low salary, but they are not trained. “
In a letter to Row Kent, he wrote: “While the manager’s response was polite and measured, this incident made me feel completely miserable. Being publicly humiliated in this way in front of other buyers and staff members has left my dignity in tatters.
He added: “Guide dogs are given to the visually impaired to support them with freedom and independence. And to be challenged in this way, when all I wanted to do was run my legitimate business without worry, like any other citizen, is absolutely unacceptable. ”
He added: “It is imperative that you instruct the people you hire as your security staff to be fully aware of your corporate responsibilities regarding the admission of guide dogs and other assistance dogs, hoping in vain that this nasty situation will not happen again. . ”
Chris Theobald, Public Relations and Campaign Manager at Guide Dogs, said: “It is completely unacceptable and illegal for a business or service to refuse a client with a guide dog, but unfortunately this happens too often. Our research shows that three-quarters of guide dog owners have been illegally rejected, and this discrimination leaves people with vision loss abandoned.
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Last week, one of Kent’s best friends, BBC reporter Sean Dilly, was told he was not allowed to take his guide dog, Sammy, to two Tesco stores in London. Kent is working on a “repair” project with Tesco.
He said: “The problem is the law, unless it really bites, it’s a little toothless.”
A M&S spokesman said: “It is unacceptable and we sincerely apologize to Mr Kent. Our stores should be accessible to all and we welcome companion dogs. We worked with the Royal National Institute for the Blind to develop an online awareness training for service dogs, which all our colleagues are completing.
They added: “We are contacting our security providers to ensure that shop security guards are fully aware of our approach and we are contacting Mr Kent to apologize directly.
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