91Èȱ¬

A man has settled a case of religious discrimination against a Belfast bar owner who told him "we don't serve Protestants".

John Bittles, of Bittles Bar in Belfast City Centre, has apologised for any upset and distress caused to the man.

The case has been settled for £6,500.

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, which supported the case, said the man had been made to feel very uncomfortable by the comments and the reaction in the bar.

He knew the landlord, John Bittles, and had spoken to him before.

Mr Bittles told him: "No seat, no drink, new rules in the bar. I look after my locals."

The landlord then pointed to a group of men and continued: "You have not been in here for about three years, and we don't serve Protestants; only joking, no, I'm not."

The man said he felt intimidated by this as the comments were made very loudly and were greeted by cheering from other customers.

He left the bar immediately and made a report to the PSNI, who recorded it as a hate crime.

Speaking to the Equality Commission, he said he felt he had to challenge the comments.

"The landlord knows me, and I was shocked by his comments and was really concerned by the reaction of the people in the bar," he added.

"I honestly thought the days of this type of behaviour in Northern Ireland were behind us."

The Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Geraldine McGahey, said this serves as a reminder of anti-discrimination laws to all businesses serving the public.

"It is important that customers do not feel intimidated or degraded because of their religious beliefs," she added.

"Everyone who walks through their doors should be treated with dignity and respect, no matter what their religious background.

"This is also a reminder for each of us that what someone might see as banter or a harmless joke could have the effect of being offensive or intimidating to someone else."