By Joanna Kilvington 

Damien Poole and boyfriend James Manly

 A gay couple have demanded an apology from a Chiswick pub after the manager told them to stop kissing because customers were leaving over their behaviour.

Damien Poole, 24, and his boyfriend James Manly, 27, visited the City Barge, in Strand on the Green, to enjoy a quiet drink last Sunday afternoon. 

“I felt like everyone was looking at me. I just thought ‘I’m in London, in Chiswick, not some small country pub’. We would never, ever be inconsiderate.”

James Manly

 But the couple claimed they had been there less than half-an-hour when the bar manager told them to stop kissing in public because three customers had complained and left. A spokeswoman for the pub said the request was “in no way discriminatory” – but the alleged incident has left the couple shocked and embarrassed. Mr Manly, a police community support officer, said: “The pub was pretty busy so we found a corner to sit in. We had a pint and were just talking. ”Damien said something I was a bit chuffed by so I kissed him on the cheek and he did the same back.“It was nothing outrageous. We carried on talking and then about 20 minutes later we did it again. “Suddenly the bar manager came up and said ‘It’s a bit of a touchy subject but would you mind stopping that because at least three customers have left the pub and complained’. “I felt like everyone was looking at me. I just thought ‘I’m in London, in Chiswick, not some small country pub’. We would never, ever be inconsiderate.”

The couple left the pub, which is a favourite of TV stars Ant and Dec. Mr Poole, from Chiswick, said: “It was really awkward and I felt physically sick. I couldn’t believe it had happened. ”The bar manager said he’d lost three customers, now he’s lost two more.”

A friend of the couple set up a group on social networking site Facebook, calling on drinkers to boycott the pub. On it, he says: “Do you think the manager would ever say this to a straight couple?” In just 24 hours the group gathered the support of almost 400 people from as far afield as Canada, who expressed their anger. It now has more than 1,400 members.

The City Barge

A spokeswoman from Spirit Group, which manages the pub, said: “During the Sunday dinner service at the City Barge, the manager deemed that a couple’s physical behaviour was inappropriate given the time of day and the surroundings. “As other customers were uncomfortable, the manager discreetly asked the couple to desist. ”This request was simply due to the behaviour being considered inappropriate, it was in no way discriminatory and at no point were the couple asked to leave the premises.” She said the pub welcomed all members of the community.

source: http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk

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