MOTORCYCLISTS have taken to social media to vent their feelings after they say they were discriminated against by a Leominster restaurant.
The group of twenty motorcyclists, all members of Midlands Riders, which organises group rides and charity events, were moved to make their experience public on Facebook and Tripadvisor after they were told they would not be served at the OK Diner last Sunday.
The bikers were making their way home from a day trip to Wales when they made the stop at the diner, where they have been served on several occasions previously.
But, they said, their visit came to an abrupt end when they were refused service both outside and inside the diner by a supervisor.
Midlands Riders spokesman Chris Thompson said that the group had initially requested to sit at the benches provided outside the restaurant, but were told by a supervisor that they would not be served outside.
"I told him that we have been served outside in the past, and said to him that if that wasn't acceptable then we would be happy to come inside to be served, to which he responded that we wouldn't be served inside either," Mr Thompson said.
"We have never had an issue like this, and I really don't know where we went wrong. We are a group of men, women and children who were just having a day out on our bikes."
"We feel that we have been discriminated against and we will not be using the OK Diner again."
OK Diner has since apologised for the incident, and assured the group that whilst they "can give no justifiable reason" for the refusal of service, they will take corrective action to ensure that it does not happen again.
OK Diner director Dafydd Poole said: "We have always welcomed bikers in all of our restaurants.
"Some years ago, we installed picnic tables on a grassed area to the side of the restaurant specifically for our biker guests, many of whom prefer to sit outside."
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