A shopper has launched a legal battle against Lidl after being barred from taking his guide dog into its stores.
Kevin Nugent, 46, claims the supermarket broke the law by allegedly failing to ensure security contractors were properly trained.
He is being supported by the Royal National Institute of Blind People, which says that access refusals are not unusual.
It follows a number of incidents where Mr Nugent, who is registered blind, claims guards challenged him with guide dog Lokie.
On one visit, Mr Nugent claims guards “chased” him down an aisle, saying he could not bring a “pet dog” into the store. That was despite Lokie being fitted with a fully-marked fluorescent harness, Mr Nugent claims.
Another time, staff allegedly shouted, “Can you walk?” despite it being obvious that he could. Mr Nugent, from Wembley, North West London, said: “It left me feeling humiliated, and not seen as a real person. I always point out when I am challenged, ‘Would you tell someone in a wheelchair to leave the chair outside?’ It is exactly the same by insisting the guide dog stays outside.”
Mr Nugent claims the number of times blind people are being challenged by store staff while with their dogs has risen in recent years. He puts it down to more firms outsourcing shop security.
Mr Nugent’s legal case lists five incidents between November 2022 and February last year. He told how the first incident took place at Lidl ’s Ealing Road branch in Wembley. But despite reassurances from the supermarket that action would be taken, it happened again. Mr Nugent said he is able to shop at other stores, such as Sainsbury’s, without issues.
The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal for shops to refuse entry to a person with their guide dog. Claire Andrews, legal rights officer at the RNIB, said: “Guide dogs provide a vital form of independence to blind and partially sighted people and access refusals have a very negative impact on their owner’s confidence.”
The case is expected to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Lidl declined to comment as the case is ongoing.