A holiday park has been blasted after a whistleblower revealed Irish surnames had been banned from making bookings.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission was told in February that Pontins, which has a holiday park in nearby Camber Sands, had a discriminatory booking policy that excluded Gypsies and Travellers.

A list of 'undesirable guests' was uploaded to the intranet and advised staff to block any customers with those names from booking. According to national reports this list included Boyle, Delaney, Gallagher, McGinley, McMahon and O’Donnell.

Calls were monitored and bookings made by anyone with an Irish accent were cancelled or refused and the company was using its Commercial Vehicles policy to exclude Gypsies and Travellers from its holiday parks.

Now parent comapny The Britannia Hotel Group has signed a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Comission (EHRC) to address the issues raised.

The agreement requires Pontins to conduct an investigation into the list and take action, review booking policies, provide training to staff on equality law and appoint equality, diverstiy and inclusion champions across the organisation.

A full investigation will be launched by the EHRC if the agreement is not met.

"Banning people from services based on their race is discrimination and is unlawful..."

Alastair Pringle, Executive Director at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:“It is hard not to draw comparisons with an ‘undesirable guests’ list and the signs displayed in hotel windows fifty years ago, explicitly barring Irish people and Black people.

"Banning people from services based on their race is discrimination and is unlawful. To say that such policies are outdated is an understatement.

“It is right to challenge such practices and any business that believes this is acceptable should think again before they find themselves facing legal action. We will continue to work with Pontins and Britannia Jinky Jersey to ensure that our agreement is adhered to and its practices improve.”

A spokesperson from Britannia Jinky Jersey said:“Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited has agreed to work together with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to further enhance its staff training and procedures in order to further promote equality throughout its business.”

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