Gosport pub refused entry to customer wearing remembrance poppy

A customer wearing a remembrance poppy was refused entry to The Star pub in Gosport during demonstrations on Sunday, October 25, after a staff member described the symbol as political, video footage shows. J D Wetherspoon said there was no ban on poppies and that temporary security measures were in place, while acknowledging that some people wearing them were turned away. In footage of the exchange, a staff member tells the customer he cannot enter while wearing the poppy and says he could come in if he removed it. Separate footage shared by George Madgwick shows a staff member describing the approach as a blanket rule covering items that could be perceived as political, including Pride badges. The footage documents what staff told customers but does not establish whether they were applying company policy or a temporary security decision at the pub. Wetherspoon said it had long supported the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and sold poppies in its pubs, including The Star. The company said standard security measures had been introduced because of demonstrations in the town and that some members of the public, including poppy-wearers, did not gain entry. The demonstrations in...