The following is a letter sent to the Misbah Tandoori in Monmouth. A copy was also sent to the Beacon.

Sir,

I feel I must write about our visit to you and our meal on the 11th September this year.

We had a table booked for six – we ended up running late and finally placed an order at around 6.30pm.

The food took nearly an hour to arrive, which in turn made us late for a meeting later, however, while the food was being cooked we were subjected to some of the most shocking, appalling and sickening behaviour I have ever encountered in my life.

The party of four at the table directly next to us had a person with a disability in their number. This person required a guide dog, which was bought into the restaurant wearing a high visibility coat and harness.

The dog lay in silence completely still for the duration of the evening.

One of your waiters tried to ask the person with the dog to leave, stating a no dogs policy.

The gentleman at the table with the blind woman tried to explain that the guide dog was necessary for someone with a disability. The waiter then asked for proof of disability which was produced in the form of ID.

Not satisfied, the waiter fetched the owner, who told the party that the dog must be left outside on the very busy street.

Since dogs of this nature are not pets but working animals, they are worth upwards of £50,000 and therefore this request was ridiculous.

The behaviour that evening was nothing short of discrimination. It is exactly the same as not allowing wheel chairs, walking sticks or crutches into the restaurant.

To refuse goods or service to someone with a disability is illegal in the UK under the disability discriminations act I believe.

I will be writing to the Monmouth council, the good curry guide and the local press, including my own MP, regarding this shocking, disgusting behaviour.

Such intolerance and discrimination is something I have never witnessed in person before in my life.

I can only be glad that it did not happen in my own country (England) otherwise I would have been truly ashamed.

Suffice to say this experience completely ruined our meals.

Maybe this is standard practice in Wales. I did think we lived in a tolerant, progressive and supportive society.

I close by saying I was truly sickened by your behaviour, attitude and disregard for common decency.

Stuart Fox

(Gloucester)

The Beacon spoke to the manager of Misbah Tandoori, Dul Miah, who told us he had no problem with guide dogs.

"Normally we don't allow dogs for hygiene reasons etc," he said.

"On this occasion the lady brought the dog in and was eating her food. We were told it was a guide dog and there was no problem."