Challenging discrimination in the hospitality industry against the Traveller community

Was an Irish Traveller discriminated against when a pub in Cardiff refused to host his daughter’s Christening?

A man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was told he could not host a Christening at the pub because he was a member of the Traveller community. 

We supported the case through our fund for race discrimination cases, part of our Legal Support Scheme – ensuring those who may struggle to access justice have the opportunity to do so.

We provided funding to support the case.

Following a claim for direct discrimination on the grounds of his race, the Three Horseshoes pub agreed to settle with the claimant. The settlement does not contain an admission of liability on the part of the pub. 

The Three Horseshoes pub has committed to undertake equality and diversity training. 

The case received significant media attention following our communications activities.

As Britain’s equality regulator, we raise awareness of race discrimination and how it can be prevented. Every business providing a service to the public should understand their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to protect their customers and staff from discrimination based on a protected characteristic.

Our efforts resulted in a positive resolution for this claimant, shedding light on an issue still experienced by too many people in Britain, and helping service providers understand discrimination and how they can prevent it.