THE UK’s human rights watchdog has started an investigation into Pontins after continued concerns over alleged discrimination against Traveller families, it has emerged.
Last year it was reported that the holiday park chain had been using a list of “undesirable” surnames to block certain people from booking trips with them.
The list, which was first published by iNews, was available on the company’s intranet for call handlers and showed a cartoon referencing Gandalf of Lord of the Rings with his famous quote: “You shall not pass.”
It went on: “Please be aware that several guests are unwelcome at Pontins, however some of these will still try and book – especially during school holidays.”
Names on the list included: Boyle, Carr, Cash, Connors, Doherty, Gallagher, Horan, Lee, McGinn, Murphy, O’Brien and O’Reilly among others.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said that by declining services to guests of a particular race or ethnic group, Pontins was “directly discriminating on the basis of race”.
After the news emerged, the firm’s owner Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited agreed to work with the EHRC to prevent racial discrimination.
The agreement was set to last a year – and came to an end on February 18, 2022.
Now, the EHRC has announced that the company hadn’t satisfied them that “it was taking the required steps to prevent unlawful race discrimination”.
Therefore the watchdog will be starting a formal investigation into whether the holiday firm breached the Equality Act 2010.
The body’s CEO, Marcial Boo, told iNews: “We are concerned that Pontins may have illegally denied Gypsy and Traveller families the simple pleasure of a holiday.
“Any business that refuses to provide services to guests due to their race or ethnic group is likely to be breaking equality law.”
He went on: “The EHRC will continue to use all legal powers at its disposal to ensure that no one experiences racism, whether at a holiday park or elsewhere, simply because of their name, ethnicity or the community they belong to.”
