According to Daily Mirror - Main, Maddie Haining described being helped inside by security when she entered the venue with friends at 2am, with door staff checking IDs and assisting her without issue. However, less than five minutes after entering, security returned and said the manager had ordered her removal because she was a safety risk. Staff continued to insist she had to leave and could not stay, with the manager stating her chair was a safety risk but unable to explain how or why.
The manager also told her that if the club received a fine for breaching fire regulations, he would send it straight to her. According to Daily Mirror - Main, Haining described showing on her phone that removing a disabled person from premises over 'fire risk' is illegal under the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits such discrimination. Club Tropicana has not issued an official response regarding the incident, and it is unclear what specific fire regulations or safety policies were cited.
So I'm being kicked out of the bar for being in a wheelchair.
No formal complaint or legal action has been confirmed, and details such as the exact time and date beyond 'early hours of Saturday morning' remain unspecified, with no corroborating witnesses or staff accounts reported.
When going in security checked our IDs, and then helped me inside. I’m able to walk bits with help, so my friend held my hand and security brought my chair in and then said as long as I’m okay then it’s all okay. And then left, my friend got a drink at the bar, and then less than 5 mins later security came back over and said that the manager had said I have to leave because 'I’m a safety risk'.
I asked security if he could get the bar manager to come and speak to me about this himself and he said yes. The manager, will, and another staff member came out and the manager said I have to leave because my chair is a safety risk, but could not tell me how or why.
I said this is discrimination. It then changed and he said it’s because I'm a fire risk. I got up on my phone showing that it is unlawful to remove a wheelchair user from a bar for 'fire risk' reasons as all bars should have a fire safety plan that includes disabled people aswell as able bodied people.