A blind BBC journalist has described being turned away from a Sainsbury’s store with his guide dog as “disgusting.”
Sean Dilley, who has used a guide dog for around 25 years, shared a video online showing his encounter at the Great Portland Street store in central London.
In the clip, he is heard telling a security guard and another staff member: “I’ve just been told no guide dog allowed.”
He added: “The funny thing is my guide dog just went the wrong way.”
“I was going for the crossing, I didn’t even originally realise it was Sainsbury’s but that was disgusting”.
Just refused access by a member of staff at Sainsbury’s on Great Portland Street didn’t even mean to go into Sainsbury’s pic.twitter.com/F1s8cM9Jbd
— Sean Dilley NEWS (@seandilleyNEWS) October 17, 2024
After the guard apologises, Dilley tells the staff: “Imagine you could not see and some idiot comes up to you and says you’re not allowed in with a dog. No animals allowed.”
Dilley said it was “a training issue”, adding: “I wasn’t looking for it. I was on my way home. V tiring”.
Under the 2010 Equality Act it is illegal to refuse access to a disabled person with their guide dog, except in exceptional circumstances.
This includes access to shops, restaurants, banks, hotels, libraries, pubs, and taxis.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said, “We are in touch with Mr. Dilley to tell him how sorry we are for his experience. We hope to welcome him back to our Great Portland Street branch, so that we can personally reassure him that assistance dogs are welcome in all our stores.”
