A sweet shop has issued more training to staff after a disabled woman with an assistance dog was asked to leave.
Jacqui Sillence, 56, visited Teba Sweetland in Boundary Road, Hove, with Millie, her assistance dog, in pursuit of some filo pastry.
However, Jacqui, from Portslade, was shocked and upset when she was asked to leave the store by staff due to Millie’s presence.
Jacqui was asked to leave the shop by staff (Image: Jacqui Sillence)
Jacqui said: “They circled me telling me I needed to get out. They told me I could only have my dog with me if I carried it.
“I have all the correct documentation I need to prove this. I have a letter from the doctor verifying that I’m disabled, my assistance dog is fully registered, she wears a harness and is labelled.
“My dog is trained to respond to my medical alarms. I told them if I could carry my dog, I wouldn’t need an assistance dog.
“I was so upset when I got back home. I felt really intimidated.”
Hazem Nassouri, manager of Teba Food Brighton Limited, said: “Two of our staff members on two separate occasions made a mistake and apologised immediately for misunderstanding the reason the dog was present, and went on to assist the lady with her shopping.
“We apologise for any distress caused to the lady and we have now fully briefed our staff on how to assess such situations before interacting with the customer.”
Teba Sweetshop opened in May 2019 next door to their small grocery store, Teba Food.
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The shop sells a Syrian take on baklava, as well as authentic cookies and Ramadan dishes.
When the store opened, Hazem told The Argus: “The reaction from both Syrian people and English people has been great.
“A lot of people come in and think ‘Wow, there’s something completely different here’.”
Jacqui reported the incident to Sussex Police.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “On July 10, police received a report that a woman was told she could not bring her assistance dog into a food serving premises in Boundary Road, Hove.
“After conducting enquiries, it was determined that this was a civil matter and did not require police intervention.”
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