Tesco refuse access with guide dog- BBC London

Within one week BBC News correspondent Sean Dilley was told he wasn't allowed to have his guide dog Sammy in two London Tesco stores.

Sean was born with congenital blindness, poor sight and lost all functional vision at the age of 14.

Guide Dogs’ research shows that 75% of assistance dog owners have experienced an access refusal at some point and 20% of those have been in supermarkets.

Sean said: "For somebody to say that I cannot come into a shop or that I have to leave because of a guide dog in 2022, it just feels the north side of unacceptable to me."

BBC London requested an interview with Tesco but they denied.

Video by Gem O'Reilly

[gavla]

The fact he was refused entry by a supermarket - which I would bet there was a sign on the window saying "No Dog except Guide Dogs", but the fact he got abuse from people on Twitter?! Sad low life internet trolls. I happily support the Guide Dogs charity as they do stellar work and I can't even imagine losing my sight. These dogs are a life line to so many!

[mrbeeoutdoors]

It's pretty disgusting, but what's maybe more disgusting is that seemingly no one came to the mans aid to tell the staff to kindly step the F back and let him do his shopping.

[virginiacorcoran]

What is unacceptable is when people state that people with disabilities have no business going out in public. I’ve heard that multiple times in the United States. The very sad thing is that people today seem to have absolutely no empathy for others.

[si]

Disgusting. The staff need to be put on disciplinary procedure

[jakedovey]

Assistance dogs have a right of access by law, it's actually a criminal offence to refuse access to an assistance animal in the UK, the penalty is hefty and can include prison sentences!

[ramatgan]

As a person who actually worked in Tesco for months. The problem is area managers and regional managers of Tesco. They have the power of the stores. All they care about is turnover and performance v last month and this time last year. That is it. There is no culture of professionalism or management that guides stores to upkeep customer service, tidiness, store presentation. These are all secondary to sales data. This lack of management feeds into staff at local level. Who arrive at work and simply interested in running the clock down. Which is why is you see these failing happenings.

[michellegazer]

Shocking, yet sadly not unusual! As an assistance dog user I know how discriminatory and ignorant the public can be to disabled people who need a dog to undertake every day tasks. I constantly have to tell staff that my dog is allowed in by law. Able bodied people ought to be very grateful that they don’t need a dog to help them do things they take for granted!

[susanleitch]

I worked in Tesco until 2017. We used to have a blind chap and his dog come in a couple of times a week. He would wait for a minute or two, and the duty supervisor on the tills would detail a staff member would walk with him and help him do his shopping. I can't believe that this happened to this man. It's simply disgraceful. The manager of this shop should be ashamed of himself.

[meebzilla]

This has happened to me and my service dog in the United States more times than I can recount. Hotels and Walmarts being the worst offenders. No matter how much I explain to them that it’s the law, they are adamant that it might upset their other customers and deny us entry. I actually considered filing suit against one such hotel but honestly I cannot afford such litigation. I’m on a fixed income and barely able to exist as it is. It’s demeaning and really depressing and honestly does tear down one’s confidence. I’ve actually had the police called on me at Walmart and even they told me to just leave and stop kicking up a fuss. Writing to corporate is fruitless; all one receives is an empty apology and assurance that “everyone is welcome” and promises to do more training. I’m frankly sick of hearing this training excuse used from everyone from the cops who kill innocent people to shopkeepers and hoteliers. It’s simply unacceptable.

[angelaegan]

That's it for me, no more will I shop at Tesco! 😢 I expect his dog is cleaner than most people!

[nancyaylward]

I think that every store should have training in the form of putting the employees in sensitivity training. Make them blind and put them in a store situation and also put them in a wheelchair alone in a store carrying a shopping basket. Make sure they know when they see a person who has a dog and they are wearing working dog collars that this person is disabled in someway whether it be with sight, wheelchair or PTSD disabilities. This goes on here in the United States. It’s just appalling. I heard about one person who had notebooks with printed pages made that had the law written out on this page that they could tear out and hand it to the employee or the security guard. Believe it or not it’s working for them.

[Dan-wobx]

My good god guide dogs have been around for decades!!! Fair enough if it was someone sighted with a ‘service’ dog I could understand as this is a new thing . I love seeing people with guide dogs it takes ‘man’s best friend’ to the next level.

[philipkelly]

The staff at the tesco shop's should be sacked straight away 🤬 just a pity I wasn't there to help Sean out with it!!! As for the people who are sending the man horrible things on social media channels just remember what goes around comes around you horrible 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[ericanddella]

Wow! Can’t believe this. The complete disrespect that was shown to you. You can give training on the law and company policy, but that kind of disrespect is ingrained. How dare they!

[NathanGuideDogs]

Something like this is unacceptable behaviour! I don't blame people who have @guidedogs at times need body cameras to record some sort of evidence! For any shop such as @Tesco staff to do that, it makes me sick to the stomach!

[MissTeeFy]

It's like telling a person in a wheelchair they can't bring in the wheelchair! Unbelievable.

[godwhymenowman]

Seen you both This Morning on Breakfast TV and It Lifted My spirits but also broke my heart, First of all Thank You To Your Mum for her Love and Respect and support. Second thank You to Sammy for a job well done and for all the hard work Keeping Sean safe, Good Boy Sammy, As a Person blessed with sight i was Moved and entertained, Two Years is a long wait but big up to The Army of a Team who puts in all the years of hard work Fundraising and those that Train The Dogs, We need more Funding clearly, I would have liked BBC to have a Segment more about this as it's a Nationwide response, We should be Teaching Out Kids about this, after all They are the next Gen Shed Problem solvers, Would love to see Sean do More programs on the BBC, again Thanks Sammy and Sean for the Fundraising and work Done, Respect to Anyone who has Donated, The Lord Is Our Shepherd.

[andrewleeming]

I feel so bad for this man acsses issues are horrible . I have an assistance dog I am lucky to have a very supportive little town

[marthagonzalez]

God gave us these angels mans best friend shame on these people some day they will need help to.

[bluebird]

What a disgrace! I wish I was there. There's no way that I'd stand back & let those ignorant people discriminate against him & his dog.