Bridgend restaurant staff told not to take Gypsy bookings

A restaurant has apologised after claims staff were told not to take Gypsy and traveller community bookings.

In a WhatsApp group allegedly belonging to staff, an El Prado by Martinez employee also said to cancel any bookings already made by Gypsy groups.

The restaurant in Laleston, Bridgend, said sorry in a statement.

"After a recent message was brought to our attention… we'd like to make it clear we welcome all bookings from the traveller community," it said.

The restaurant went on: "We take discrimination very seriously and have a clear zero tolerance policy for all of our team members.

"We'd like to apologise for any offence that may have been caused, and reassure members of the travelling community that we are dealing with this matter immediately".

Report Racism GRT, a group which collates reports and supports victims of discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and traveller groups, said it received a report containing a screenshot of the message earlier this week.

In the message, staff were asked to "check your bookings every day and if you spot any Gypsy booking cancel it straight away".

It read: "Just to make you aware, I just had a… family trying to book a table for Father's Day."

The following line, beginning with the word "important" in capital letters, added: "Always start by entering the telephone number of the customer when using ResDiary to book tables over the phone, this way ResDiary will show if the customer are blocked so you could tell them that we are fully booked."

Report Racism GRT said the message was discriminatory, adding: "Refusal of service is the highest form of discrimination levelled at the Gypsy, Roma, and traveller communities and this type of rhetoric is not uncommon.

"However, that said, it is rare that we receive hard evidence of this being a booking policy.

"Any form of discrimination or racially motivated abuse is unacceptable, and we will challenge it whenever and wherever we see it."