Disabled man refused access to garage toilet

A DISABLED man has told of his shock and embarrassment after a petrol station manager refused to allow him to use a toilet.

Alan Imlah, of Whitecraig, East Lothian, who is partially paralysed and suffers from muscle weakness, said he was "deeply upset" by the incident.

He told staff at the BP garage on Slateford Road that his medical condition meant he urgently had to use the toilet. But the manager said he was not allowed to let him use the staff toilets and there were no customer ones.

The manager refused to back down, despite pleas from Mr Imlah and his wife, Joyce.

A disability rights group spokeswoman described Mr Imlah's treatment as "inhuman" and said BP could have breached the Disability Discrimination Act.

Mr Imlah, 52, who is a director of Equity and Education and does voluntary work for Capability Scotland, was left paralysed from the chest down following a diving accident in 1975. Since then, he has regained some use of his legs, and can walk short distances with the aid of sticks, but also uses a wheelchair. He also suffers from a bladder weakness, which is related to his spinal injuries.

He and his wife stopped at the garage on Thursday afternoon to buy petrol and expected to find a toilet as the garage sign advertised "full services".

Mr Imlah said: "I have not felt so angry for a long time. I went in expecting civility. I explained about my spinal injury and the fact that my muscles do not work.

"The manager just looked at me eye to eye and said 'It's more than my job's worth to let you in'. I was shouting at him.

"I was really upset. I couldn't believe it. Normally this wouldn't be a problem with most people. It was extremely embarrassing."

They were told to call the garage's customer care department if they had a complaint.

Mr Imlah said: "People can be very helpful, but you do occasionally find this sort of attitude. This would affect a lot of people, such as those with prostate problems, pregnant women or anyone with young children."

Carol Stewart, of the Disability Rights Commission, said: "This treatment does seem inhuman. Under the circumstances I would have hoped they would show a bit of compassion."

The commission's Scottish director Adam Gaines said the garage's policy could contravene the Disability Discrimination Act.

He said: "Service providers have a legal duty to make 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled people - this includes removing barriers or reconsidering policies which make it unreasonably difficult or impossible for a disabled person to access their services.

"As the nature of this customer's condition makes it difficult for him to get petrol without immediate access to a toilet, letting him use the staff toilet - which is of no cost or inconvenience to the business - could be held to be a reasonable adjustment.

"We would hope that the garage concerned will re-examine their policy in the light of this incident and see it as a way of improving customer service, as well as meeting their legal obligations."

A BP spokeswoman said it was company policy not to allow customers to use staff toilets.

She said: "We apologise to the customer for what happened. However, for security and other reasons, it's not always possible for customers to use the staff toilets.

"Sometimes, unfortunately, people will have claimed they wanted to use the toilet urgently and have used that as an excuse to steal from the office."