Wetherspoons puts notices in pubs with ‘poppy ban’ rules after veteran row

Wetherspoons has put up notices in its pubs after a row which blew up over footage of a British Army veteran being turned away for wearing a poppy. JD Wetherspoon has denied banning Remembrance Day poppies in its pubs, stating that heightened security measures surrounding local protests led to entry restrictions at a Hampshire venue over the weekend.

Now, the pub chain has put signs on the bar in its venues following widespread outcry after footage of the veteran being refused entry to The Star in Gosport on Sunday afternoon (October 25). In the clip, a doorman told the man he could not enter wearing a poppy because it was “political” and instructed him to remove it or face being denied service inside.

The notice put on the bar in pubs says: “In fact, Wetherspoon has not banned veterans wearing poppies.

“Wetherspoon is a long-standing supporter of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and sells poppies in its pubs.

“Last year, for example, the pubs raised £55,867 for the appeal.

“There was a demonstration in Gosport on Sunday, near Wetherspoon’s Star pub and there were extra security measures in place.

“Unfortunately, some poppy wearers, and other members of the public, were refused entry.

“On the advice of the police, the pub was closed for the rest of the day. The pub has now reopened and Wetherspoon has apologised to customers for the inconvenience.”

The confrontation took place as Gosport became the focus of major unrest, with an estimated 400 anti-immigration demonstrators marching through the streets from the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre toward the town square to protest small boat arrivals in Hampshire.

In the viral video – first shared by Joe Standen, Reform UK councillor for Paulsgrove, on the Spotted Pompey Facebook page – the door steward could be heard telling the veteran: “Really sorry mate, you can’t come in with a poppy I’m afraid. It’s political.”

When the pubgoer insisted the emblem of remembrance was “not political at all,” the doorman replied: “I’m just doing my job.” He then advised that patrons could enter only if they removed their poppies and concealed them in their pockets, warning: “Don’t put it on inside, because you’ll be asked to leave and they won’t serve you.”

In response, Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said: “Wetherspoon is a long-standing supporter of the Royal British Legion and sells poppies on its behalf every year in the pubs. Wetherspoon never has, and never would, instruct its staff to turn away people because they are wearing poppies.”