Liam Gaughan, 19, slammed Newcastle bar Jalou after being refused entry because a bouncer thought he was too ‘drunk’
A teenager has slammed a Newcastle bar for refusing him entry for being ‘drunk’ – despite explaining he had a disability.
Liam Gaughan and his friend Alex Brown, both 19, tried to get into Jalou, near Newcastle Central Station on Thursday night.
But when the pair arrived they said a bouncer refused to let them in, saying Liam was too drunk.
Liam, of Denton Burn, Newcastle, explained he had a stroke after birth and suffers from left-sided hemiplegia, leaving him with a limp and less movement in his left hand.
Despite explaining his condition, the pair say they were still denied entry into the popular nightspot, which has since launched an investigation into the incident.
‘I hadn’t had any drink and we went to the bar but the bouncer stopped us, saying I’d had too much to drink.
‘It didn’t bother me because I do get it quite a lot because of my limp,’ Liam said.
‘I explained I’ve had a stroke and that I’d only just finished work, so I’d had nothing to drink.
‘But it didn’t change his mind and he still wouldn’t let us in.’
Jalou (pictured) issued a statement on its Facebook page apologising for the incident and said an investigation has now been launched
Liam and Alex, who both study sociology at Newcastle University, decided to ask for the name of the bouncer and asked to speak to the manager.
‘The manager came out and was understanding but said the decision ultimately came down the bouncer,’ Liam said.
‘I was really disheartened by what happened. I went through a lot at high school and I know my worth now.
‘I should not have been denied entry to somewhere because of my disability.’
Alex, who lives in the West End, said: ‘The bouncer stood cross-armed and told us that he stood by his decision and point-blank refused to apologise to my friend Liam, who was very distressed by the incident.
‘This treatment is not only wrong but is discriminatory in an age where legislation exists to prevent such incidents from occurring.’
Jalou issued a statement on its Facebook page apologising for the incident and said an investigation has now been launched.
It adds: ‘We would like to make it clear that we do not have a discriminatory policy regarding entry to the venue.
‘We operate a door policy to try and promote a responsible approach to alcohol consumption and keep all guests safe both inside the venue and after they leave our establishment.
Liam, of Denton Burn, Newcastle, explained he had a stroke after birth and suffers from left-sided hemiplegia, leaving him with a limp and less movement in his left hand. However, a bouncer still won’t let him in
‘Sometimes we get this wrong and we feel like there may have been an error of judgement.
‘We refuse entry to many people each week and this is never due to prejudice, we assess each situation on it’s individual merits and do our best to be fair whilst remaining diligent and trying to make the correct decision.’
The club is now reviewing its training policy and speaking to the specific members of staff involved, it adds.
The statement continued: ‘We can’t change what happened but would hope our guests recognise that we have a very diverse client base and have operated for around 6 years without major incident and understand that we will endeavour to ensure incidents such as last night do not occur again.’