Women barred from pub for being 'too old'

A group of woman were barred from a city centre pub after door staff decided they were "too old". The 15-strong group, a mixture of middle-aged women and their daughters, had enjoyed a meal together before wandering over to the Courtyard Bar in Leeds.

As soon as they reached the doorway they were told they could only go inside if they were 35 or younger. To add insult to injury, one member of the door staff allegedly told them: "Daughters can come in, but not the mums."

Carol Borthwick, 62, a civil servant, whose group included teachers, bankers and a police officer, said today: "When they asked us our ages we thought they were joking and so, smiling, we made to go in.

"But they we realised that, far from joking, they were in deadly earnest and told the mums in the group that we were too old to come in. It was a freezing night and we were kept standing on the pavement hoping for an explanation. They said that nobody over the age of 35 could be admitted."

Ironically, Mrs Borthwick had been allowed into the bar – for a 60th birthday celebration. She suspects her friend's age was not an issue on that occasion "as she was footing a rather hefty bill."

The bar's owners, Mitchells & Bulmers, have now launched a full investigation into the women's complaint. A spokesman claimed the company was "committed" to treating all its customers equally and did not tolerate discrimination in any form, "whether in terms of age or otherwise."